Image theft question

I just saw a gallery on rubberslug that is using scans of two of my cels as examples on their wishlist. Is this allowed? I don't have scans of those cels on my site anymore because I was tired of the images getting ripped off.

It's usually not nearly as practical to go and get the images yourself as screencaptures and such, but we **highly** recommend that people **ask** before they use other people's cels as wishlist items.

For now, this isn't (as far as I know... the mods are more keepers of the rules than I am) something we ban on. I would suggest talking to the gallery owner about their collection and let them know nicely that you'd prefer if they didn't use your cel images. You have a fairly off-beat interest in cels so I would think that it would be pretty cool to find fellow collectors who collect the same thing. Maybe that's personal preference though.

Also, do you know about the image splitter tool in your preferences? You can have Rubberslug automatically divide your cel images into 4 parts to make it harder to copy them.

At some point, I'm also going to make a tool that can display images as Flash movies. That should also stop a lot of casual copying for those it bothers.

I am not fully sure of the policy reguarding scans in put up in the wishlist area.
By nature a wishlist cel scan is put up as an example of what you are looking for and you do not own it.
I do feel if someone wishes to show a scan of a cel that belongs to another Rubberslug gallery in their wishlist area they should contact the owner and ask their permission.
I do see a lot of gallerys that have an added identifier on their cels. My Muffins comes to mind as an example. You might wish to add that to yours if you are concerned about image theft.

Joe

Actually, one of the images actually has my website URL on it, but being a thumbnail it's too hard to read. The other cel has been ripped off by so many other sites... I had a cel site up in 1997, and didn't know not to put huge scans without a watermark.

It just bugs the *** out of me that out of all the screengrabs and images out on the internet, someone rips off images of my cels, and probably other people's cels as well. I will contact the jerk.

Here's the link if anyone else spots their cels on this guy's wishlist. http://baronv.rubberslug.com/gallery/wishlist.asp

Well, actually it's like Jason mentioned.. We haven't sought to ban anyone for [i]"just wanting"[/i] your cels so bad that they post (free advertisement) of your cels in their gallery.
It is the "these are my cels" fraudulent image pirates that really concern us.

Of course it is good etiquette (damn I hate that word) to contact the cel gallery owner and politely ask him/her first of course. That is exactly the right thing to do. Ahh.. this reminds me. It is another "FAQ".. to add. "Is it okay to add other gallery owners cel images to my wishlist?"

I have dealt with this before, but I just consider it a compliment that someone would like my cels so much as to [i]wish for them[/i]. I think that some people pray for painted plastic more than do for redemption =)

In any case, if it really bothers you can of course ask the person to take it/them down..

Of course you'd be breaking their little hearts to no ends, since they are worshipping the very thing that you already have...only to be chastised for it as a thief.. It is utimately your call. I am just that little mod on your shoulder whispering in you ear, (*winks) but go ahead and sock-it-to em if it makes you feel more **image secure..**

=)