User:Angel Emfrbl/Fanart stealing

There was a time when fanart stealing went mostly unnoticed by me but due to a big event, I don't anymore Its all here.

What is Fanart stealing
'''Fan: Ah! Awesome! Thats a cool picture! I must download it!'''

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your monitor output screens, this in a nutshell the root of fanart stealing. Its no different from downloading soundtracks off the internet and while its not copy righted its not any less shameful. There are many forms of FA stealing and many anti-FA stealing sites out there trying to discourage it. Its just most of the interet doesn't think its a big dea.

My history with Fanartstealing
Going back to highschool, I had work stolen by someone else, who paraded it as their own. Everyone knew it was mine, it was a drawing of a dragon, only I drew dragns like that. Busted art thieves, artwork retrieved - but ruined. The girls returned it but not in a state I could use it. I was angry... Annoyed and upset.

Okay back in the days of me being a Beyblade fan, I came across the dread "fanart darkness" which you can read on the article I've linked to at the top of my page. Basically, I felt a lot for these girls (they were mostly girls) and knew how they felt. I was one of those that joined in Beholder's parade to down fanart stealing, that is fanart used without premission. Beholder was even kind enough to get premission for one of our sites members, who avatar was stolen fanart. So what happened in those days of fanart darkness? Well, many stupid remarks were made to a decent man who didn't even have to speak to us, nor help us, nor attempt to supply us with info. From these comments I began to consider what I classify as types of stealing.

Fanart stealing Types
Okay the rough history out of the way, now for types.


 * 1) Search Stealing: You type in a word into google, see something amazing and downloading it onto your computer for personnel use.  Fair enough, its stealing, so long as you don't reupload it no one will ever know.
 * 2) Ownership Stealing: Basically you not only take, but then claim someone else's work as your own.  Very, very, very wrong!  You should NEVER claim this.  I've seen this done so many times, and it was even within the Beyblade forums, I saw it in a Mortal Kombat forum too, where three artworks got supplied.  You know, people may praise you, but they turn ugly when they find out you stole it.  People want to see the real you at work, no matter how bad you are, not how good someone else is.  Some forums will ban you for it.
 * 3) Borrow Stealing : A lot of people do this, they take #1 a step further by adding the artwork to their signature or avatar or website.
 * 4) Honour stealing: the most BS justification for stealing I've ever heard is "They should feel honored I am using their work".  How do you know?  Did you ask them?  If you stole without premission then I know you can't have approached them.  In the case of stealing, say Japanese artwork, my experience with Japanese fanartists is they only feel honored if you ask premission first.
 * 5) Bandwidth Stealing: Direct linking to a image, steals not only the artwork but bandwidth as well.
 * 6) Shared Stealing: Same as Honour stealing, but instead your reason is "everyone else does it".
 * 7) Edit stealing: You edit the image and resubmit it with edits.  Its not the same image as before, yes, but the orginal artwork is still there and still underownership.  You've just decorated it up with a blond wig and pink bows.
 * 8) Comunnication Stealing: "The owner is Japanese and I'm English!".  Still dam well ask premission!  This is one of the sorry-assed oldest Anime/manga blame for stealing I've seen.  Write them in English, they won't be able to read it but doesn't matter, even if their Japanese that might not be a problem.  A lot of Japanese fanartist have someone close to them they can translate for them and some can do it theirselves.  Don't get me wrong, a lot of them won't be able to reply but don't presume Japanese = unable to understand, their human beings, many of them can get around the language problem.  Bottom line, if you know the tongue they speak with, copy it, if not ask in English.
 * 9) Blame Stealing: You blame the artist for uploading the image you've downloaded when all they wanted to do was show everyone else their skills.

And the list goes on... A lot of these you can break without realising it.