:loudspeaker: PSA: Art Theft :no_entry_sign:

>>Hello BNHA Amino!<<

Today we're going to discuss a topic that's become a major problem as of late! We'll be discussing what art theft is, how to spot it, and more. So without further adieu, let's begin!

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What is Art Theft?

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To put it simply, art theft is taking someone else's image and claiming ownership, whether it be to gain likes, followers, money, etc. Another word for this is plagiarism, which is ILLEGAL.

If an artist catches you stealing their work, they have every right to take you to court for it, and art thieves always lose those cases. Sometimes you don't even need to claim the image to get into legal trouble, so always credit the artist!

Tracing also falls under art theft, but that topic is covered in This post, so I won't be covering it here. However, any form of art theft is not allowed here, or anywhere else for that matter.

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How to spot Art Theft.

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There's no sure way of finding art thieves as they can easily cover up their tracks, but here are a few red flags.

✎No proof or progress shots. Usually if it only has a short title with little to no explanation such as "I drew this :3", chances are they didn't. Faked progress/proof is also possible, you just need to have a good eye for it.

✎Their style changes with each piece. Pretty self explanatory, if their style isn't consistent then there's usually something fishy.

✎Watch out for watermarks to the actual artist, or do a quick image search.

✎Reach out to the artist on social media. If you happen to find the art on Instagram, DevianrArt, Tumblr, etc. Ask the artist if they posted it elsewhere.

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If you find an Art Thief.

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✎Do NOT interact with them, hear me out on this. It's better to directly report the to a staff member instead of calling them out and causing unnecessary drama. Art thieves know what they're doing, they are not going to care about anything you say, so please allow the staff to handle the situation. :pray:

✎Whenever you report a to us, please be sure to provide VISUAL proof such as screenshots to the original artist, a confirmation from the artist that it's stolen work, etc. We will not just take your word for it, in case you try to frame a member.

✎Another alternative is to flag the content, which you can do by clicking on the three dots inside of the post and clicking on "flag for review". A leader will get to you on the matter as soon as they're available, so there's no need to spam flags.

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How to prevent Art Theft.

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Keep in mind these aren't 100% bulletproof methods, but it can slow some of the less intelligent art thieves from taking your hard work.

✎Always always ALWAYS sign your work with your name or where s can find you, including on your progress shots. Try to put it where it's difficult to remove as well, such as on the character. The argument of "watermarks ruin art pieces" is untrue. You can still enjoy a piece with or without the signature, especially if the watermark blends well with the piece, like tweaking the opacity.

✎Google reverse search is your best friend! It along with other sourcing sites like Saucenao, Tineye, etc. Are fairly great at finding art that may have been stolen and posted on other platforms without your knowledge. For situations like this, it's great to have a social media for just about everything so you can report the stolen work on that site.

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Proving you own the art.

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For traditional:

✎Provide progress shots with your name visible somewhere.

✎Cut out a slip of paper with your name on it and put it on your drawing, or sign your piece.

✎If we still feel unsure, we'll ask for a few angle shots, or maybe an object in the picture such as drawing materials, a spoon, etc.

For digital:

✎Provide progress shots, such as a sketch, lineart, coloring, sharing, etc. Along with your layers.

✎If possible, take a picture of your drawing with a slip of paper that has your name on it.

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If you don't own the art.

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Either give credit to the original artist, or save everyone the headache by NOT POSTING IT AT ALL.

There's absolutely no valid excuse to refuse giving credit to the creator. Please be respectful to content creators, as they give us plenty of things - for free mind you - that we do not deserve.

If you somehow haven't already read The Crediting Rule Post, I highly suggest you do so, as it's an important factor in this community. It is required you credit anything you don't own, and any rule breaking will result in the appropriate punishment.

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Punishment for Art Theft.

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Most of these are covered in the Community Guidelines, so this section won't be very long either.

✎Art theft will result in an immediate strike if we have proof, and can lead to a ban if it's done more than once.

✎Not properly crediting content will lead to your post being disabled after being warned by staff or post monitors.

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Conclusion.

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Thank you for reading! Hopefully this will deter any art thieves that tend to lurk in the community, as we do not tolerate any shape or form of art theft. Please, kindly make your way to the nearest exit if you're only here to claim artwork not belonging to you, thank you!

>> Have a pixelnominal day!

Info Senpai g off! <<

This blog was written and the tpl was made by: Shay

The TPL is not Free to use.