fairy tail police station

This website called vk.com/gruvia are stealing a lot of Gruvia artworks and such from the Original Artists/Graphic-makers here on Tumblr

Just like what it said above, this website are really stealing a lot of Gruvia stuff that we post here on Tumblr!! I’ve been keeping quiet about it ever since I discover this website and now I can’t do it anymore, because they’ve been stealing my Gruvia translations, but not just my translations, they’re also stealing Gruvia artworks (from @rainladyjuvia, @giushia, @arya-aiedail, @yuuba, @rchella, @zoromesstuff, @luciasatalina, @chsabina, @hazelhue, @tea-lief and more) colorings (from @unisonraidd, @pennytf, @skay, @tartatail, @oldfriend7876 and more), edits (from @utsukushiicaps, @fuck-yeah-gruvia, @rieriebee and more) and they even steal some Gruvia theories from @fuck-yeah-gruvia mostly.

In short, I notice that they steal the Gruvia stuff with a lot of notes here on Tumblr. To be honest, I pretty much have an idea who might be handling this website since it’s Russian and I know a few people on the Gruvia fandom here on Tumblr that keeps on reposting a lot of the Japanese artists artwork even translating without a proof that they have permission in the first place. I also know one Japanese artist (ice_linko00) already posted on her twitter description that she doesn’t want her art to be reposted anywhere but someone here on Tumblr can’t seem to acknowledge that. If you guys want to know who those people are, you are welcome to ask or message me and report them for stealing.

Now as for vk.com/gruvia, the only way to really shut down this website is to report them, but we need to make an account and then go here and start reporting. You can put this post to the ‘Link to the content you are talking about’ since I summarized the people they’re stealing from in the first place.

the group has already gone from public to closed. @sarapyon posted this PSA less than an hour ago, and it only has 26 notes now. Whoever is running this account either follows her or someone who’s reblogged it, or both, which seems very likely since the photos were posted in an order matching the order of the bloggers posting their content.

Whoever is running this account, you’ve been caught and switching your account to private won’t stop us from reporting you. You’ve stolen TWENTY THOUSAND images from people in your own fandom, people you should have more respect for. Many of these images were reposted to tumblr from twitter with permission from the artists, and you’ve betrayed the trust those bloggers (such as @unisonraidd) have earned from the artists that allow them to share work here. You’re thieves, and I’m disgusted to see my own work there, but I was at least able to file a report showing links to my original posts and your theft. 

 Do not repost art without permission.

Do no repost art without permission.

“But I like the piece! I want to share it!” GREAT! Then please consider giving the compliment to the artist and asking them if you can repost their work! You’ll probably brighten someone’s day.

“But I don’t know the source!” Okay, well it still belongs to someone?? And unless you’re the creator, you that person is not you. I recommend reverse image searching to try to find the artist! It’s useful! It works! It’s free! Also, We Heart It, Pinterest, and Google are not sources, as a source is where the artist originally posts their work.

“I don’t have the time to ask permission!” Cry me a river. The artist probably invested hours at the very least and days/weeks/months at the most most to create their art they decided to share. If you really like the art, you can show the artist some respect and spend a few minutes to ask permission before you redistribute their property.

“It’s not like I’m claiming it as my own!” Cool! You’re on the right track! But guess what? By reposting someone’s work without permission, you could possibly be taking away from the artist’s income! If they sell prints, you could be causing some serious damage to them. How would you feel if someone took you were at work, completed a task, but didn’t get paid for what you did because your boss didn’t know you were the one who did it?

“But some artists don’t care!” That is correct! But some do. Just ask to be safe.

 80% of fanartists (art, fics) and graphic makers HAVE a tumblr account, the way to report here it’s easier than insta; so again if you think you can come here and start your repost bullshit and rotten the tags the way you did with instagram you are wrong.

do you know the warm welcome your friends on instagram gave me when POLITELY I told them to not to repost my fanarts? do you know the warm welcome my friends received when they did the same? They called them  “bitch” and beyond, all the insults and bullshit you can imagine.

do you know that, due to “their warm welcome” most of the artists left the fandom or they went on hiatus??

you guys are receiving the same warm welcome most of us received.

“They could at least talk to us.“

About what? It’s on Instagram community guidelines; they clearly state to not to use someone else stuff. Why they should talk to you, when it’s crystal clear? It’s you who ignored their laws. :/

 80% of fanartists (art, fics) and graphic makers HAVE a tumblr account, the way to report here it’s easier than insta; so again if you think you can come here and start your repost bullshit and rotten the tags the way you did with instagram you are wrong.

“credit to the artist”

“don’t know who drew this”

“source unknown”

While i dont mind reposts as long as they ask permission and credit me, and not edit my work (which happens a lot to artists, which is one of the many reasons an artist would prefer and request people not repost) theres always going to be some asshat who just happens to find a cool art piece, repost it with no credit/source or the original comments by true artisit, and pretend everything is fine with the excuse of “well they should be grateful, their art is getting out there” bullshit. So yeah, reposting gets art out there but it doesnt help the artisit when people say “OH WOW THAT IS BEAUTIFUL, i wonder who made this… OH WELL DERPDADERP” -reblogs- you know what thats come to? Its called stealing. While there are the few that source the art when reposting (ya’ll are great and i hope you got the ok to repost) the majority of the time from what I’ve witnessed, someone took said artwork, posted it with no link or source to the artist with some comments about the art. (ex. this is cool, great fanart wish i knew who drew it)

Tell me again, how stupid are we? SO. You know what benifits the artist? Reblogging instead of reposting. Its that simple. Really, how hard is that?

An analogy for all those slower people out there that don’t consider art theft to be wrong, specifically fan art theft. 

Sandwiches.

Let’s say you’re making a peanut butter sandwich. You didn’t invent this sandwich and you don’t claim to, but you really love them, and you’re making one.

So you set your finished peanut butter sandwich on the table. You’re really proud of this sandwich; you worked hard on it, and you’re going to enjoy eating it. But first! You feel like showing some of your friends this awesome sandwich.

Now let’s say someone takes a look at your sandwich and says “Dang, i love peanut butter sandwiches and that looks like a good one!" 

And then they take it.

They take your sandwich. Of course you’re going to be angry about this, it was your sandwich! Now maybe they turn to you and say "Oh, but you didn’t invent peanut butter sandwiches, so this sandwich doesn’t belong to you.” And they eat it. You didn’t make that sandwich for them and you never claimed to have invented peanut butter sandwiches. You made it for yourself, and they took it without asking. Just because they can see it, doesn’t make it theirs. That’s stealing.

Or let’s say someone else sees the sandwich you have on the table, picks it up, and carries it to a different room to show other people. They didn’t ask you, they just took it. Maybe you don’t want people from the other room to see it, and the person who took the sandwich didn’t ask.

Maybe the person comes back and says that they weren’t claiming to have made the sandwich. But the fact is they took the sandwich without asking. So that’s still stealing.

Now someone else sees the sandwich on the table, takes it without asking, and lettuce in it. Not only have they stolen your peanut butter sandwich, but they’ve changed it into a different sandwich. You never intended for your peanut butter sandwich to have lettuce in it, and they have wrecked it by changing it like that.

Stealing.

Stop stealing. Stop tracing, re-posting, editing, and/or stealing people’s art.

IF SOMEONE CAME UP TO YOU AND TOOK YOUR SANDWICH, YOU’D PUNCH THEM IN THE FACE. WHICH IS WHAT WE ARTISTS WANT TO DO TO YOU.

STOP BEING STUPID. STOP STEALING ART.

Reposting work has been a problem for as long as Tumblr has existed and we are all trying hard to put an end to the problem.

Lots of people do not even realize that what they are doing is wrong. And that is okay, but if you are aware of the situation now, please stop. Artists spend a lot of time on their work and do not appreciate it being reposted. And it’s not just artists. Whether you are reposting a gif, edit, drawing, writing, etc., it is still wrong.

Please respect these amazing people who spend a lot of time doing what they do. 

I also realize that even after this, most will still have some confusion over what reposting actually is and whether they are committing such an act, so I’m here to help sort any sort of confusion with some tips/”rules”.

1. DO NOT SAVE (OR COPY-AND-PASTE) AND POST WORK FROM ANY TYPE OF SOURCE! THAT IS WHAT REPOSTING IS.

Never save a picture or copy-and-paste work from any type of source what-so-ever (Tumblr, Google, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.) and post it on here. That is what reposting is! This does not give proper credit to the creator (whether there is a watermark or not) and it makes it seem like you are claiming somebody else’s work. It’s great that you appreciate someone’s work and want to share it with others, but please stick to reblogging!

2. STICK TO REBLOGGING!

Okay, so if I didn’t make it clear previously or you did not see it, I will reiterate: JUST REBLOG IT INSTEAD! Reblogging is the way to go! This gives the rightful creator full credit. Although reblogging might not be 100% efficient, as you may end up reblogging from a repost instead, but it makes everything so much easier.

3. IF YOU FIND A GOOD ART AND DO NOT KNOW WHO THE CREATOR IS, IGNORE THE TEMPTATION AND PLEASE MOVE ON!

Most artwork or edits include watermarks, but some don’t. If there is a Tumblr watermark, please go to the source and search for the picture there and then reblog it from there.

4. DO NOT ASSUME SOMEBODY WANTS THEIR WORK REPOSTED ON ANOTHER SITE! IF YOU WANT TO SHARE THEIR WORK HERE (IF IT’S ON ANOTHER SITE), ASK FOR THEIR PERMISSION FIRST!

Never, ever do this. If you find artwork, edits, writing, etc. from another source (Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, FanFiction, etc.), find a way to contact the person for permission first. Do not repost without their permission. I cannot stress this enough, please do not do it! Lots of these artists or writers might already have a Tumblr, so if it’s not posted here, they probably do not want it posted here. And if they do not have a Tumblr, contact them to get permission, and then link them in the post and put a notice that this was posted with permission.

5. DO NOT ASSUME PUTTING “DOES NOT BELONG TO ME” OR “THIS BELONGS TO ______” MAKES IT OKAY.

The creators need proper credit. Reposting their work and giving them credit does not make it okay. This means that they have no idea that their work was shared without their consent and still makes the situation terrible. Likewise, stating “does not belong to me” is terrible as well. You may not be claiming it, but this gives absolutely no credit or indication to the creator.

6. DO NOT EDIT SOMEBODY’S WORK AND THEN ASSUME IT IS YOURS.

Just editing somebody’s work does not mean it is now yours. The majority or a part still belongs to them and it is not right that they were not credited. You could erase heads from the art and draw your own or “rewrite” a work (which is plagiarism), but it still belongs to them. So do not edit work and then sign it/or claim it in any way.

7. FOR FANS OF ANIMATION: ALWAYS CHECK FOR WATERMARKS. LOTS OF FANART MAY OR EDITS CAN OFTEN BE MISTAKEN FOR CANON.

Yes, back to the watermarks. Anyways, I have seen many instances where comics, art, doujinshis, etc. are mistaken for a canon drawing, such as scenes from a cartoon or panels of a manga. Always make sure to check for watermarks so you don’t end up reposting somebody’s work!

Friendly Tips:

Google images links you to the sources. If you find a picture on Google that you want to share, you can go to the source, and if it’s from Tumblr, reblog it from there! (If you notice that it’s reposted, ignore it and move on! Do not spread the reposted art!) I would also recommend adding “Tumblr” into your search!

Search for work to share on Tumblr itself! Searching her on Tumblr with tags is so much easier! Then all you have to do is reblog! Makes the process easier, right?

STICK TO REBLOGGING! Again, this makes everything easier.

I am aware that this will not stop everyone from reposting, but I hope the people who were not aware of the situation or didn’t know they were doing it, now are aware and will be able to share and distribute due credit.

Writers, artists, and the likes all create amazing work to share with us. When their work is shared without credit, they are crestfallen and sometimes even lose inspiration to keep creating. Why should they when nobody knows it’s theirs?

No, I’m not talking about consent for like kissing and stuff, although you should always get consent for that. No, no, today I’m going to be talking about something different. Something along the lines of good ol’ copyright.

I’ve noticed that, in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom at least, comic dubbing is becoming very popular. I’m pretty sure at least a hundred (maybe more) of you follow me just because you saw one of my dubs at one time or another. I know there are others who have been doing it longer than me and some who are newer. Some of us are popular, some of us not so much. Some did it as a one-off, some do it regularly. Some people don’t even dub–they just take the comics and add music to them and put them on youtube.

Regardless of which categories you fall under, if you have or plan to make a dub of someone’s written or illustrated works, or make something that includes someone’s written or illustrated works (like an AMV w/ artwork) –whether it be in this fandom or another–this applies to you. 

So pay attention.

For the sake of conciseness, I will only be mentioning comics but this applies ANY works, original or fanmade, that do not belong to you. Written, illustrated, music…This includes fanmade covers of the Miraculous Ladybug theme too, btw.

ALWAYS GET PERMISSION BEFORE YOU USE SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK. ALWAYS. IT’S SO EASY. JUST ASK.

I don’t care if you are “shy” or “anxious” to ask. That’s not gonna fly in court. If you’re too shy to ask for permission then you’re definitely too shy for the attention you could potentially receive for you dub. Worst case scenario, the artist says no. Fine. Deal with it. Move on.

And, seriously: ASK BEFORE YOU BEGIN PRODUCTION. You don’t wanna get halfway into the process only to find out the creator isn’t cool with you doing it. Plus, you can kinda put them in an awkward position (like, crap, they’ve already put effort into this…how can I say no?) and that’s just rude to do. Don’t be that asshole.

Why do you need to get consent?

…I really should not have to answer this. But since we have such a problem with art theft, I will. But personally, I think it all comes down to NOT BEING A JACKASS.

1. You have absolutely no right to dub/use the comic.

That’s right. You have no right. None. It doesn’t matter if the comic is fanart, it is the intellectual property of the artist. I don’t care if you REALLY REALLY WANNA DO IT!!!!!1 I don’t care if you’re “just a kid”. Posting a dub video with the artwork without prior consent from the artist is art theft. The artist may consent afterwards…or they may not. Either way, the fact you used their work without their permission made it art theft. If you think you can get around this by not posting the comic panels and just an audio version of it - you stole their story line. Still theft. 

2. What about fair use?!

Do you people even know what that means? There are a number of reasons that people like to claim fair use but actually can’t. Your dub of a persons comic is not:

Criticism & Commentary – you’re not criticizing the work. You’re not commentating on it or using it to commentate on something else.

Parody – you’re certainly not making fun of it! (What is Parody? See: SNL sketches.)

News reporting – it’s not newsworthy and this is not a news segment.

Scholarship and Research – UNLESS YOU WERE MAKING THIS FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT, it’s not academic. Even if it WAS a school project, you still do not have the right to put it up on youtube. (Ex: I did something with footage of The Garfield Show once for class. Jim Davis himself has expressed compliments after viewing my work - but I still have to get legal permission from Paws Inc to use it anywhere outside of class.)

There are a few other fair uses as well but they’re irrelevant in this instance because there’s no way anyone could even attempt to claim them.

3. But I credited them!

Yeah? And? That’s not consent. 

4. It’s just fanart.

Yeah… but it’s their art. Maybe not their characters but THEIR ART.

And GOD HELP YOU if you actually do something w/o their consent using their copyrighted works.

5. They can sue you.

Yep. You read that right. If you use an artist’s artwork without their permission, they can take you to court. It doesn’t matter how you did it, how old you are, where you are: they can file a lawsuit and your ass could end up in court. Ask yourself: do you really want to go to court over a comic dub?

Will they? Eh. Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on the person. Do you really want to risk it though?

And if you think you’re exempt because you’re not American: I got news for you. Tumblr, vimeo, youtube, etc…their servers are in the USA. Unless I am mistaken, that potentially puts this in the USA‘s jurisdiction.

See why this is important?

I understand that you might think that dubs are harmless. And, yeah, they’re relatively insignificant. But the fact of the matter is, you need legal permission to use everything in your videos and that includes artwork. AND sound effects and music, for that matter, but that’s not what this is about.

This isn’t a hard concept. Just ask for permission. It covers your ass. I live and breathe TCOM and trust me, YOU GOTTA ALWAYS COVER YOUR ASS. But most importantly, it shows you respect the artist/creator not only as an artist but as another human being.

If they grant you consent to use their work: WOO! YOU’RE IN BUSINESS! GO TO TOWN! DUB THAT SHIT AND MAKE IT AWESOME. If they set any terms for of use (crediting requirements, no monetizing, etc) you MUST comply or it’s a violation of your agreement and they can take action against you.

If they say no, you better respect that shit.

And, if you’ve already decided to be THAT ASSHOLE and have posted someone else’s work without their express consent in any form: IF THE ARTIST COMES TO YOU AND TELLS YOU TO TAKE IT DOWN, TAKE IT DOWN. for fuck’s sake man

For the record: I always ask. You can check with anyone in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom whose works I have dubbed and they will confirm: I have always sought their permission. I have always agreed to and complied with any terms they set forth. AND I have license to use EVERYTHING you hear in my dubs–all the music, the sfx–and the consent of the VAs, which they gave me upon initially accepting the roles.

IN SUMMARY:

I have been asked several times how and where to file a DMCA Notice on various websites by artists who had found their work posted without their permission. The websites I’ve received ranged from weheartit to instagram, and there were even cases where the work is posted on the same site that the original work is published.

So I’ve compiled a masterlist of DMCA forms by various social media sites to help artists and other creators, and make it easier for them to report their work.

I will also indicate which sites require that you register first before you can submit a complaint.

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Google+ [Requires sign-up]

WeheartIt

Vk [Requires sign-up]

Tumblr DMCA | How to Report Miss-attribution (for Artists on Tumblr)

Please spread this as much as you can, even if you are not an artist yourself. It can mean a big difference to someone who finds their work stolen. This is applicable to anyone, really, regardless of what your drawing skill level is. Your work is copyrighted to you. 

A very simple website that explains copyright. 

Information about copyrighted works from other countries outside of the US.

Myth: You need a copyright license to report.

That is false information. As explained here, a license is optional for artists/creators who want their name to appear on a registered list of copyright holders, made available to the public. However, a work is protected by copyright the moment it exists in tangible form (art, songs, plays, etc). 

@mirachii is an Art Thief blog that posts in the following fandoms:

Naruto (Sasusaku & Naruhina)

Diabolik Lovers

Fairy Tail

Vocaloid

Ecchi 

Their blog was started on May 1st, 2016. 

Check if they have reposted one of your works, if you draw in one of the fandoms above, and report them if they did. They may also be following you, so block them.

Thanks to the anon who tipped me about this. 

it’s not about aqours, but please read.

many people are stealing @hemoracy‘s art on Instagram, and it’s okay as long as they put credits, but this girl refuses to credit her and blocked me. now she asked her followers to REPORT HEMORACY BECAUSE “SHE’S BASHING HER FRIEND FOR USING HER ART WITHOUT CREDIT”.

it’s unbelievable that they’re the guilty ones and hemoracy has to pay the price (even if art stealing is shit in general), it’s absurd. this account’s name is ohara.fairy, but there are many more.

if you could send her a message or comment saying that she must put credit, i’d be really thankful…i know how it feels like.

if she deletes your comment or blocks you, please report her. it’s not “mass attacking”, i just tried to be polite but she won’t do the right thing.

I wasn’t sure what I would find when I opened the link but I can’t say that I not disappointed. 

Artists need to get over it and give up.

Yes, that would be the perfect utopia for you, wouldn’t it? While we’re at it, how about we abolish the laws that protect against violence because hey, people get hurt everyday. The same with fighting for equal rights, because discrimination happens all the time! People should just accept it and give up! It’s part of life! You can’t stop it!

[Please note the sarcasm.]

If there [they’re] just now noticing there [their] art is getting stolen since the second they posted it, it’s just to [too] late.

If that individual is just now noticing that artists are malcontent with the status quo, they are way behind I’m afraid. Artists/Translators/Creators/Writers have been dealing with theft, plagiarism, and reposts since way before the above commentator was even born.  

What artists or anyone don’t realize is once they post art or anything online it stays because other sites post it.

Oh, they know. They know all too well. And so do lawmakers from virtually every country, otherwise things such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act wouldn’t even exist to even the balance and give power back to the creators. Search almost any social media you can think of, and add ‘dmca’ at the end of it. I guarantee you there is a form that exists to take down copyrighted content. 

Why was the reason you made art. These are the consequences for your actions. 

There is no way to answer why artists make art without filling the entire post and then some. But I do know what artists do NOT make art for, and that’s for it to be taken without their permission. By the way, nice victim-blaming.