How to protect your artwork . . .
Gina Jane Johnson of daisiecompany.com wrote up a GREAT article for this site, called "About Digital Piracy: Prevent Plundering of Your Portfolio." It is chock full of information, the most important of which is how to deal with the FBI about these problems. Click on the link below to read, or download the entire article. Download the article in Word format here.
About Digital Piracy:
Prevent Plundering of Your Portfolio
By Gina
Artist / Manager D.A.I.S.I.E., LLC
How to protect your artwork from file sharing individuals and groups:
Digimarc your images. Learn more about Digimarc online. Download free digital watermark software online. This is important. Whether you activate the online tracking service or not, Digimarc proves that you have the right to protect the art and file a crime report if needed. You can prove your rights by watermarking your images. Store owners can provide a Digimarc code to their artists and designers as well. This makes it possible for the store and the artist to file a crime report. This is a double whammy against file sharing groups and individuals. The more often these groups are reported by unique individuals and stores, the more likely they will be prosecuted by law enforcement.
Always include your Terms of Use (TOU), and/or Angel Policy, or End User License Agreement (EULA) in your files. I recommend providing this policy during check out on your site, and / or including it as a JPG format file inside your kit. This way it will show up in your customer’s graphics browser as they use elements in your kit.
Include the FBI Warning Statement in your TOU, EULA or Angel Policy: "Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000." By posting this statement on your site, and including it in your EULA or Terms of Use and/or Angel Policy, you help educate your customers. [Resource: http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/ ]
Screen Shots, Links and Email Records- Keep a copyright infringement file on your computer, and make a back up onto CD. Take screen shots. You can do this by going to the screen of the individual’s site, group, etc. Using your keyboard, type CTRL+ALT+Print Screen. (the Print Screen key is usually at the top right hand side of your keyboard.) Open up your graphics program. Create a new file and paste the image you have copied. It will appear in the canvas layer. Save it into your Copyright Infringement Folder. Take as many screen shots as you can, showing the multiple locations and ways your files are being distributed illegally. Also, print all of these records. When filing a report at the FBI Cyber crime Website, you will be asked if you have paper records of your interactions with the perpetrator(s). The evidence gathered as you correspond with internet file sharing groups / pirates must be stored on CD as well as printed onto paper.
Intellectual Property Rights, you should know them. The World Intellectual Property Organization has a website loaded with great information. Find out more here.
Educate your customers. Let them know what file sharing is. Tell them to send their friends and group members to your web site to obtain your freebies and kits. Clearly state the FBI Warning, etc.
How to report file sharing individuals and groups to the proper authorities:
Before you report an internet crime, get educated.
The FBI has launched a program called Operation Fast Link.
"Large-scale operations like FastLink and SiteDown strike at the core of online piracy," said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. "Losses to industry and individuals from online piracy are enormous, and law enforcement will continue to do everything it can to protect valuable copyrighted products and shut down these illegal distribution networks."
Read the entire article here: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/fuchsCharge.htm
This is good news for members of the following organizations: the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Although individual artists and online stores are small fish in the sea, we can act in unison, reporting file sharing.
Remember that the FBI has priorities. Their first and foremost priorities are: Homeland Security, second, Identity Theft, and third Internet Crimes. File sharing is an internet crime.
“…The FBI urges the public to learn about the risks and dangers of P2P networks, as well as the legal consequences of copyright infringement…”
Learn more: read the press release all about Operation Fast Link.
IC3 collects internet crime reports.
They review the reports and send the information to the appropriate Law enforcement agency. Please note that the FBI does not act swiftly. They are
Slow paced, methodical and thorough. Do not feel discouraged by this. When you
Report a crime, the information is placed in their database. When the same individual
Or web site is reported repeatedly, this information sends up a ‘red flag’, prompting
An investigation.
Reporting an internet crime:
Contact your local FBI office.
IC3 processes internet crime complaints on behalf of the FBI.
File a Complaint with IC3.
Before you do, read their FAQ.
Be prepared to provide the following information:
- Your name
- Your mailing address
- Your telephone number
- Name of the individual or business that defrauded you
- Address of the individual or business that defrauded you
- Telephone number of the individual or business that defrauded you
- Website and email address of the individual or business that defrauded you
- Specific details on how you were defrauded
- Any other relevant information necessary to support your complaint
- The name of your local police station or sheriff’s department.
Fill out an internet crime report at IC3 online.
Be Patient. The FBI appears to be a slow moving agency. In reality, they are very careful, methodical and exact in their investigations. They have a database which stores the names, IP addresses and file sharing groups. As multiple reports stream in, this database becomes a powerful tool. By doing your part to report internet crime, you can assist the FBI in tracking and prosecuting criminals.
Combining our efforts, assisting each other is the key. Together artists, designers and online stores can report file sharing groups. We can notify one another. Our emails to each other become part of the powerful evidence gathered, as we are witnesses to internet crimes. Over time, our combined voices and effort will make a huge difference.
The FBI is a sleeping giant…
An FBI agent, friend of mine, once described their organization as follows:
“We are like a sleeping giant; slow to awaken…but once awake, watch out!”
--- Online Resources -------
FBI www.fbi.gov
http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/April/04_crm_263.htm
WIPO http://www.wipo.int/portal/index.html.en
DIGIMARC http://www.digimarc.com/
Thank you for this article on Piracy. I have been taking a class on copyrights and trademarks and registered items. this will help me know and put into use as I learn graphics. Your article is very useful. thanks again. Kay
Posted by: Kayetta | August 14, 2007 at 12:28 PM