Hey all!
Recently I've found out somebody has been using my own work in their portfolio. Last year I worked on a contract with a company dealing with modeling realistic sections of machinery. I ended up leaving that company a few months later, and took with me a copy of the work I did, the last thing I worked on.
I ended up rendering it out, and placing it on my website. Jump forward to a few days ago, somebody else that worked there asked me if they could use those images in their website, since after I left they had worked on my model further.
I told him, that the images I have are of the work I did. He replied back asking me once again. I replied back telling him that they were mine. I found out, a minute later after visiting his site, that he had in fact already placed the images on his website, and cropped my name out of the images, and resizing them.
Here is the work on his page:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/455805/Case/1.png
Here is the 3 images in question, as they appear on his site:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/455805/Case/2.png
Here are the images on my page:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/455805/Case/mypage.png
And here's those 3 images put together:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/455805/Case/3.png
Now I've asked him to take it down or remove it. I haven't had a reply in well over 24hrs. So I am posting it here, asking for your advice. Any more questions feel free to ask away. He is a polycounter btw.
Replies
I'm sure he's gonna take them down before everyone here starts flaming him... unless his side of the story is more convincing. I mean he had the decency to ask you for permission in the first place so he can't be that bad. Either way it isn't fair to start jumping on him so soon.
edit: removed the projects he worked on!
In my experience they usually drop the images without a peep once they've received a straightforward email.
sometimes they don't respond or remove your artwork, and in those cases I have no idea what to do
This guy has had my character on his site for a few months now http://poly-dimension.com/portfolio.html :<
There's a bit up in the air, so we should try to withhold judgment, but it does sound kinda shadey. If they're a polycounter, great, they can come here and clear it up
This sort of thing can happen by accident, but this is clearly not one of those cases.
I've got firsthand experience with not being able to take any of your stuff with you, and it sucks, but this isn't the solution.
edit: Oh, hahaha. Now that I know who it is: Good luck man.
tadaa!
My humble opinion:
This is the part that is damning for the Polycounter in question.
This guy, apparently, isn't even making his own renders...
He just TOOK the renders from Ivaj's site, cropped them to remove his name.
If he worked on these models, he should be able to render what he did, or make new renders of his own and post those. That might be acceptable or even open to debate. Taking somebody else's renders? That is theft. Plain and simple. That speaks volumes! This guy clearly knows what he's doing is probably wrong and is still not correcting it.
I say its time for the torches and pitchforks.
See I always thought this stealing of peoples work has usually just been kids to 'pretend' their good. But these two people mentioned here appear to be professionals (of sorts) with jobs or looking for a job. Is this quite commonplace in the industry? Are companies easily able to spot these people (other than through art tests)? Just curious if people are actually getting jobs by placing someone elses work on their website.
IsItPitchforkTimeYet?
http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-send-a-dmca-takedown-notice.html
First though, give the guy a 24 hour notice that you'll be doing this, to give him the chance to remedy the situation. If no response, follow through.
By the time I sent my reply on April 7th he had already placed it on the web. I don't know how long he had already had it up previously, but its seriously okay that he did it.
Also something else that bugs me is how he credits the images: That engine deck and cowlings, are what I did, and is the only thing he is showing. He takes credit for it, then goes ahead and gives credit to somebody else. Makes no sense.
EDIT: Ok, something useful. Beyond the images, he goes as far as posting this under them in his folio site:
"*Objects depicted in all three images were made by me with exception of engine deck/cowlings created by other members of the graphics team."
Especially on the very top line
Anyways, he should take it down. You seem to be entirely justified in asking him to do so, based on what you've told us.
Otherwise you're just being a complete dick... I'd be completely infuriated if someone used my work with out asking and getting my approval, or took credit for my work. Disgusting.
You fail at blurry.
I think its pitchfork time!!!!!
edit; google, very strange that its coming from a really good artist, Ive not seen it come from a professional level before, normally its some kid pretending hes good not someone in the industry. that short sentence under the images is priceless, I didnt do engine cowling or engine deck, image names cowlings_021.jpg, engine_deck_021.jpg, engine_deck_011.jpg. WHAT DID YOU DO????????
You spent 4 days to reply to his last message so I don't know why you don't give him at least 4 days to respond.
Its possible that he's just very confused as to who did what. The fact that he contacted you about it shows he has good intentions... but made a couple of really stupid mistakes, such as somehow assuming you was ok with it.
I guess he just wants pics to go with each project he worked on. And he said he can't make any of his own images because he doesnt have access to that work - these images by Javi are apparently the only images of this project that he can find.
But yes I agree that when he reads your messages and/or this thread, he should take them down. And if he doesn't, then he truly deserves to be flamed.
That said, that was a horrible edit on the conversation you had with this person so I removed the image from your post until you can properly mask this person out.
@progg: yeah I'm never gonna do that, but I will see what I can get the isp to do if he doesn't take it down soon. It shall be 48hrs soon enough.
@Yozora: I understand what your saying, however even if he didn't understand me, I left it pretty clear that I made those images. If he just assumed I was okay with it, he still should have waited for a confirmation, instead of doing this.
@crazyfool: yeah its very sketchy.
yay?
oh that guy makes me giggle.
If someone stole my art which i put long hours and and my heart and soul into, you better believe they will catch a beating son! :poly124:
I'm sorry. News of this weirdo's exploits always seems to find its way to me, even though I've had him on my ignore list for I don't know how long. Otherwise, I never would have guessed the topic of this thread.
;-)
And then.. .. posts them on his website, even though the original artist was not okay with it?!
Does this happen a lot to modelers? - This is freagin beyond my understanding.
sounds like an epic case of laziness to me, and some serious fuzzy logic. Lets not burn him at the stake just yet, we all make stupid mistakes sometimes. He just needs to get the message that this was indeed a stupid mistake and it's not ok to do
good idea!
Well I have an update, it seems that **** ***** is looking for me to take down the images along with him in some sort of "truce". I already told him no, and that he has to take down the images.
Thoughts?
Priceless.
of course you shouldn't take credit for it silly.
At a certain point it's not worth the braincells to try to combat it or stress over it. Just like padding your resume, padding your portfolio with plagiarized work wont really get an artist far in this industry.
"I didn't mean to lift the images.. .. "
that's a really weird situation, especially since the guy makes marvelous high poly work himself.