Art theft has always been bad, but I feel like the way tiktok promotes remixing other peopleās content into āyour ownā has ESPECIALLY proliferated the idea that, if something is on the internet, itās anyoneās to take.
like. My friend just found these comments on a tiktok someone made of their comic:
This is why I donāt allow reposts. Because even if I give one person permission, even if they credit me and do everything I ask, you never know who is going to steal it from them.
So hereās your reminder:
If you see fanart or a fancomic you like, you ABSOLUTELY MAY NOT share it without checking if itās ok first.
IF YOU RUN A FAN ACCOUNT. IāM LOOKING AT YOU. YOUāRE NOT HELPING āEXPOSEā ARTISTS BY POSTING STOLEN ART YOUāRE JUST BEING SELFISH AND DISRESPECTFUL. @āING ME ON INSTAGRAM ISNāT GOING TO FIX THE FACT THAT YOU DIDNāT ASK PERMISSION
THIS GOES FOR TRANSLATIONS. I UNDERSTAND WANTING TO MAKE A COMIC MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR LANGUAGE, BUT ITāS STILL A CONCERN THAT IT WILL GET STOLEN FROM YOU (and I KNOW some people donāt ACTUALLY care about it being more accessible, because Iāve asked people to reblog my original post with a translated transcription and they threw a fit because they obviously just wanted the views for their own page)
Comic dubbers are also not exempt from needing to ask for permission. I know thereās a lot of editing and you are technically producing new content, but jfc you still need to ASK TO USE SOMEONEāS ART. ESPECIALLY IF YOUāRE MONETIZING YOUR PAGE.
I also DO NOT CARE if your pinterest page is ājust for your personal referenceā STOP UPLOADING ARTWORK AS ORIGINAL POSTS. IF YOU MUST PIN ART, JUST POST THE LINK!!!! I die a little inside every time someone says they saw one of my comics on pinterest and had a hard time finding my actual post.
Why is it important that artists stay credited? Well, I for one, am about to start my junior year of my BFA, and I wonāt be able to work my part-time job anymore. My art is going to be only source of income. Every time someone reposts my art without credit, thatās more people that wonāt find the link to my store. Thatās potential job recruiters that wonāt find my portfolio. Thatās work that Iāve done that someone else is getting activity for, potentially even making money off of.
Please, PLEASE be aware of art theft. Point it out when you see it. Please understand most artists see it as offensive and disrespectful and are not flattered by it.
