Social media has made it easier than ever for creative, talented people to turn their works of art into a revenue stream. You no longer need the backing of a big company or an art gallery to reach millions of people. Sharing your most recent creations or even live-streaming the process of making new art can attract hundreds or thousands of followers, some of whom you could successfully convert into sales of merchandise featuring your art.
Unfortunately, sharing your art online also means that it is easier than ever for someone to steal your intellectual property with the intent of profiting off of it. Companies can steal your image with a few clicks and then create products with that art in only a few more moments. Quite a few talented artists and creators share something online only to quickly learn that some shady company has begun to sell their art on t-shirts.
Companies have done this so long that there are bots stealing art now
The theft of unique creations and creative works over the internet has existed for almost as long as the World Wide Web has. Thankfully, copyright and intellectual property protections apply to creative works shared or published online as well as works published in more traditional forms.
Given that artists have the right to take legal action against businesses that steal their unique works and use them for profit, the companies that steal your art have gotten ever smarter about how they do it. They often use anonymous-looking websites or creator-driven platforms to quickly and quietly make money from someone else’s work.
These days, there are bots or basic programs that troll social media sites like Twitter looking for people asking for a work of art on t-shirts. They will then steal the art, generate an image of a T-shirt with the art and begin selling that shirt online.
Don’t let someone get away with profiting off of your original art
Fighting against a nameless, faceless business can seem like an impossible task, but you shouldn’t let someone steal your art and make money from it.
Defending your intellectual property rights and taking action against those who would victimize you and other creatives will not only help you eliminate shoddy products featuring your art but will also reduce the profit incentive for these companies so callously stealing the work of others.