Art theft is not a pretty thing. In an effort to stop these thefts as soon as possible, I want a place where people can let others know if there are any Gaians that are taking or editing other people's art without their permission. More often than not, people will take from more than one artist, so it's best if all the artists in this guild are informed when this kind of behavior exists.
Signs of Art Theft
- trying to sell art that other people made.
crediting other people's art as their own.
using other people's art without the artist's permission
editing the original artist's work (ie, taking off the artist's signature)
IMPORTANT: It is essential to not go accusing someone of stealing without knowing all the facts. Everyone should listen to the whole story before making any judgement.
Dealing with Art Theft
I do not want everyone to start flaming anyone that is being or has been reported. I think the best solution to art theft is for the original artist(s) to go to the thread and request that the person removes all pictures that belong to the artist(s), and then report to a moderator, if necessary.
You have to keep in mind that, while a lot of art thieves are aware of this, there are still lots of Gaia members are quite young and do not understand that it is not appropriate to take someone else's art. So a lot of times, simply asking them to remove the pictures will be sufficient.
I also do not wish for people to start 'hunting' for thieves; I do not think that is worth the time.
This is also a place for just reporting any sort of "crime." Even if it's not a big one, like posting something in the wrong area. I might not see it and it could stay there and others would think that they could do the same. So please tell me here of any kind of crime.
