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Author Topic: Biggest Rip Off in microstock history! Shocking finds..  (Read 54982 times)

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Microbius

« Reply #100 on: January 10, 2013, 06:24 »
+4
Oh my word, I hadn't realised there was a long history of allegations against them going back to 2010 resulting in thousands of takedowns! check this out, run it through translate if you don't speak Russian!

http://www.microstocktime.ru/text/high-leg-studio-rasplachivaetsya-za-ispolzovanie-chuzhix-elementov/

ETA reading through it I can't believe SS let them back after the last incidents. Alex is on the comments saying the exact same things as he is saying now. Surly SS legal should have realized at that point that the studio is unable to legitimately claim they own the rights to the work they are uploading? again by their own admission they can't provide sufficient oversight to guarantee authorship of the work.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2013, 06:29 by Microbius »


fujiko

« Reply #101 on: January 10, 2013, 06:39 »
+1
If I had people working for me I would tell them to show me their inspiration, going as far as checking the browser history to see what they used as source or completely close internet access.
And if I had an agency I would not reinstate an account that acted like this even if it was a 40k account.

Easier said than done when it comes to manage teams, if you ever manged a team of more than 4-5 people you would understand better our position and think about this twice.

Cut the internet to the team, it's very easy.
Design and illustration studios existed even before the internet and were able to create without it.
Hire people that can create without resorting to ripping other people's work.

And last but not least, have a team you can manage.

« Reply #102 on: January 10, 2013, 06:43 »
+1
Oh my word, I hadn't realised there was a long history of allegations against them going back to 2010 resulting in thousands of takedowns! check this out, run it through translate if you don't speak Russian!

http://www.microstocktime.ru/text/high-leg-studio-rasplachivaetsya-za-ispolzovanie-chuzhix-elementov/

ETA reading through it I can't believe SS let them back after the last incidents. Alex is on the comments saying the exact same things as he is saying now. Surly SS legal should have realized at that point that the studio is unable to legitimately claim they own the rights to the work they are uploading? again by their own admission they can't provide sufficient oversight to guarantee authorship of the work.


Google translation (I don't speak russian so I don't know how accurate it is):

Team High Leg Studio, which produces runoff illustrations, once again seen in the foreign borrowing of vector elements in their works.
 
High Leg Studio took (and still is) the 13th place in photobank Shutterstock on the number of works in the portfolio. Now, however, its position is much lowered, now instead of the 38 381 meter in the gallery displays 21,600 works. And all of them are available only in the form of a preview. When you visit the page with the specific work the user sees the following message: This image is temporarily unavailable. In other words, the work of the studio is not available to customers.
 
This is not the first time the High Leg Studio accused of using other people's work. In 2010, the well-known illustrators and not just AKaiser already raised the issue of "impropriety" citing examples of borrowing:
 
Then High Leg Studio account is blocked, but you can see the mountain dealers were able to return to the system and continued to mass produce stock content. This year, the allegations against them were from the Ukrainian team, working under the direction of LoopAll.
 
Personally, I believe that everything in life eventually returned. What goes around, comes around - this is not just a proverb, it is the law of life.
 
However, sometimes in the short term wins loot.
 
Let's see how the situation will develop. Will the Shutterstock restore the account for a profit, which will undoubtedly generate High Leg Studio.

« Reply #103 on: January 10, 2013, 07:13 »
+3
To be honest I think this discussion is over. There have been National Geographic photos traced. That is a massive legal minefield for SS.

By your own admission you cannot regulate your workers, you cannot legitimately tick the box saying you certify the work is your own, so you can't indemnify the stock agency.

No legit stock site will touch you now I am afraid, any site that reads this thread is in the position that if they accept your work they do so knowing that you can't say whether it is stolen or not. I guess they need to rethink taking work from big studios in general.

They need to cover their a** now, sorry if you legitimately didn't know what was going on, but you should of, fin.

wow
this is just pathetic - repeat offender, and as was pointed out someone who is clearly NOT in control of their business or chooses Not to be in control
sorry, there has to be a line drawn somewhere by th ms sites, and if you have a PATTERN or PRACTICE of crossing that line - even unwittingly - it is the consequence you have to face
We all sign up under the same terms, and it is up to us to live up to our end of the business agreement, end of story
I do not pity repeat offenders, I pity the original artists that got hosed out of what should belong to them for their works

Microbius

« Reply #104 on: January 10, 2013, 07:22 »
+1
I agree, the line has clearly been crossed. I was arguing that they could be given a second chance, but turns out it is actually more like a third or fourth chance.

They don't seem to have tightened up their workflow to catch the problems or vetted their collection after the other incidents, so no way it is going to happen now.

If anything, IMHO, they seem to have learned they will get away with it so no need to worry.

ShadySue

  • There is a crack in everything
« Reply #105 on: January 10, 2013, 07:29 »
0
So what is the fantabulous SS going to do about this?
Does this shady mob submit to iS?

« Reply #106 on: January 10, 2013, 09:39 »
0
Oh my word, I hadn't realised there was a long history of allegations against them going back to 2010 resulting in thousands of takedowns! check this out, run it through translate if you don't speak Russian!

http://www.microstocktime.ru/text/high-leg-studio-rasplachivaetsya-za-ispolzovanie-chuzhix-elementov/ [nofollow]

ETA reading through it I can't believe SS let them back after the last incidents. Alex is on the comments saying the exact same things as he is saying now. Surly SS legal should have realized at that point that the studio is unable to legitimately claim they own the rights to the work they are uploading? again by their own admission they can't provide sufficient oversight to guarantee authorship of the work.


Google translation (I don't speak russian so I don't know how accurate it is):



Yes. It's pretty accurate. Their account was banned for some time after many complaints from other distributors. Thousands of images were deleted as a result. Now it's back online and they continue "borrowing".
« Last Edit: January 10, 2013, 09:43 by panoramic »

« Reply #107 on: January 10, 2013, 09:46 »
0
It's true that our account was blocked in 2010 and as consequence we had to fire almost the entire team, 10 designers out of 11 we had at that moment were sacked. Shutterstock reviewed the entire portfolio at that time, and they were releasing verified batches of images weekly that's why there were a bit over 21k instead of the entire portfolio. They found a few more images and they were removed.

The images that suspended our account like the ones of Cidipex were all submitted over 2-5 years ago, these images have escaped the verification back than.

From the summer of 2010 no more than 2 people at a time worked on this project and what we submitted from then on were verified thoroughly to make sure this things won't repeat.

It looks like these things follow us and there is nothing we can do.

aspp

« Reply #108 on: January 10, 2013, 09:51 »
0
Branik, have you compensated the artists who had their work ripped off by you ?

Microbius

« Reply #109 on: January 10, 2013, 09:51 »
+3
So how do you explain the more recent traced animal photos that were in your SS portfolio a couple of days ago before it went down?
Like those featuring the National Geographic eagle:
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/grunge-floral-vector-852393
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/birds-vector-857324
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/colorful-floral-background-vector-851827
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/vintage-vector-851857
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/4th-of-july-vector-857834
etc. etc.

ETA checked one more, a lion this time, overlayed it's exactly the same IMHO:
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/grunge-tshirt-design-vector-854789
http://thetbjoshuafanclub.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/lion.jpg

Every one I've checked so far has been easily tracked down as from a Googled photo.

Anyway, I'm done, no point arguing anymore. SS will sort this out now, I think they would be crazy to have not learnt from their previous several mistakes.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2013, 10:09 by Microbius »

« Reply #110 on: January 10, 2013, 10:10 »
+4
How is it that a studio that produced such "great" designs can't come up with a decent looking web site since they are a design agency. Why is it that the supposed design house doesn't have actual client work like any other design houses and the only works they show are images of what seems like their other sites that sell 600 vectors for $30. No creativity here... stolen or traced is my opinion on them. If they are not stolen, they hired some designer with minimum experience to change up some  bestsellers they already downloaded on shutterstock and other subscription sites. minimum pay and effort for maximum gain.

It pisses me off that these guys got away with this for so long.. i opened the other thread back in sept 2011...

« Reply #111 on: January 10, 2013, 11:15 »
0
It's true that our account was blocked in 2010 and as consequence we had to fire almost the entire team, 10 designers out of 11 we had at that moment were sacked. Shutterstock reviewed the entire portfolio at that time, and they were releasing verified batches of images weekly that's why there were a bit over 21k instead of the entire portfolio. They found a few more images and they were removed.

thank GOD you were the only guy that wasn't fired ;D

this is not only the biggest rip off in microstock history but also the biggest joke!

« Reply #112 on: January 10, 2013, 14:21 »
+1
It's true that our account was blocked in 2010 and as consequence we had to fire almost the entire team, 10 designers out of 11 we had at that moment were sacked. Shutterstock reviewed the entire portfolio at that time, and they were releasing verified batches of images weekly that's why there were a bit over 21k instead of the entire portfolio. They found a few more images and they were removed.

thank GOD you were the only guy that wasn't fired ;D

this is not only the biggest rip off in microstock history but also the biggest joke!

Never knew that they had previous allegations against them in 2010, if this was the case then they should have been double conscious in creating design and managing the team.
My previous statement on giving a chance to listen the plea was becoz I thought that they have been claimed for infringement issue for the first time.

@brainik, I guess there are lot of RIPS in the portfolio, if you hold the animal photos copyright then better show the RAW files or else accept the truth that the portfolio is no more.

« Reply #113 on: January 10, 2013, 14:39 »
0
post reduced to just biting my tongue...  :-X

« Reply #114 on: January 10, 2013, 14:51 »
0
Wow, shocking stuff. The amount of money they made with port full of copied pics! Very interesting thread. SS (and all other agency's) will need to take the Port down!

« Reply #115 on: January 11, 2013, 00:49 »
0
Well, guys.. What do you say about this?
Tons of first class mickrostock vectors are given away for free by some chinese guy here:
http://freedesignfile.com/category/free-vector/ [nofollow]

Whois:
http://whois.domaintools.com/freedesignfile.com [nofollow]

His hosting company:
http://www.worldstream.nl/ [nofollow]

Microbius

« Reply #116 on: January 11, 2013, 03:29 »
0
Well, guys.. What do you say about this?
Tons of first class mickrostock vectors are given away for free by some chinese guy here:
http://freedesignfile.com/category/free-vector/

Whois:
http://whois.domaintools.com/freedesignfile.com

His hosting company:
http://www.worldstream.nl/


Just another illegal site giving away stuff they don't own, there's lots of them, Heroturko, the torrent sites etc. Lets not muddy the waters by discussing it in the same thread, maybe start another one for this site?

« Reply #117 on: January 11, 2013, 03:38 »
+1
Well, guys.. What do you say about this?
Tons of first class mickrostock vectors are given away for free by some chinese guy here:

as microbius said: that has no relation to this thread.. completely different subject..

If you want to sell on legit microstock sites, you have to be legit too..

DavidBaker

    This user is banned.
« Reply #118 on: January 11, 2013, 05:25 »
-11
So how do you explain the more recent traced animal photos that were in your SS portfolio a couple of days ago before it went down?
Like those featuring the National Geographic eagle:
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/grunge-floral-vector-852393
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/birds-vector-857324
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/colorful-floral-background-vector-851827
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/vintage-vector-851857
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/4th-of-july-vector-857834
etc. etc.

ETA checked one more, a lion this time, overlayed it's exactly the same IMHO:
http://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/grunge-tshirt-design-vector-854789
http://thetbjoshuafanclub.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/lion.jpg

Every one I've checked so far has been easily tracked down as from a Googled photo.

Anyway, I'm done, no point arguing anymore. SS will sort this out now, I think they would be crazy to have not learnt from their previous several mistakes.


Microbius,

I notice at least 80% of yr post are about reporting the frauds and scams commited by contributors.
I find it surprising becos I believe you enjoy spending time in searching for evidence and prove others guilty rather than producing yr work.
I am curious why do u keep yr name and portfolio anonymous?

I personally believe that yr works in yr portfolio are not 100% original. There will be at least some artworks in yr port that are similar and identical to others in terms of ideas and execution.

Can u pls show yr reveal name and portfolio here, like nothing to hide?
Yoa re afraid of revealing yr port, just in case, other whistle blowers will do the same to you, right?

Even though the animals are traced, but it is not a easy task to trace. It required skills and experience to do that, and i personally dun think the traced works are wrong doings.

From tdys onwards, i will keep track of you and i will find out what's yr identity and portfolio.




Microbius

« Reply #119 on: January 11, 2013, 05:49 »
+10
Wow, I'm flattered, but also freaked out. I post anonymously because I make my living through stock and want to be able to post without fear of retaliation from stock agencies, or indeed criminals like those who steal others work. Clearly some have no scruples or morals so wouldn't hesitate to retaliate in any way they could (take your threat for example)

If you check my posts more thoroughly you will see that I don't partake in witch hunts and also often defend people accused where I feel there could be a legit explanation (start of this thread, recent one with photos using others backgrounds etc.).

I am sorry if you have been caught stealing other people's work in the past and are bitter about it, you have now openly said you think it is okay to trace other people's work because it isn't easy (?). Neither is breaking into a bank, but it don't make it right!

You may think tracing other people's work without compensating them is okay but I don't agree, and neither does any legitimate stock agency. I post a lot about infringements because I see it as all our responsibility to protect each others work. No one else is going to do it. They don't make up the majority of my posts though.

If you disagree about any of the evidence, why not refute the evidence instead of attacking me personally?

P.S. Plenty of people here know my real ID, they are fellow pros who wouldn't attack a colleague out of spite (like you threaten to do) or hesitate to report wrong doing if they thought I partake in it (because they are pros).
« Last Edit: January 11, 2013, 06:21 by Microbius »

Microbius

« Reply #120 on: January 11, 2013, 05:59 »
0
Thankfully your bizarre spelling has made your portfolio very easy for me to find through your post on a stock site forum.
I wont bother searching it for infringements I have better things to do

DavidBaker

    This user is banned.
« Reply #121 on: January 11, 2013, 08:36 »
-11
Thankfully your bizarre spelling has made your portfolio very easy for me to find through your post on a stock site forum.
I wont bother searching it for infringements I have better things to do


Stop trying to be noble and pretentious.

The way I see it, is your incapabilities to produce better artwork than others and poor designing/ drawing skill that made you jealous of others success. So to made yourself feel better, you try to sabotage others port.

The basics of adobe illustrator is tracing, and to hone the art of tracing to perfection takes time and years. I do trace, but i trace the artwork i draw on paper.

The animals that the fellow trace maybe copies, but he does alot of touchup and finishing in his works and made the final design a good piece of works.
This guy obviously have skills and talents and just because of a few pieces of works, you are gonna sabotage his years of work. This is really really bad and terrible thing to do.

Look at Shepard Fairey from the Obey. That guy obviously traced and sell his works but still regarded as a good artist.
Another example is Cristiano Siqueira from www.crisvector.com. One cafepress imitates Shepard Fairey style and come up with obey the breed. His works are also traced but they are accepted at cafepress to be sold.

For yr info, i dont any port in any microstock agencies listed here. I am only available at gettyimages and corbis.
Initially, i am only selling at istock and shutterstock but i have stopped. Becos I realised everybody there is selling themselves short and only making the agencies earn more $$$.

Pls post yr portfolio here if u have nothing to hide. Are u afraid that I can easily spot a few design of yours to be similar to others?

It is obvious that you are not going to post yr port here, becos you are afraid of the outcome.
You are only fit to accused others if you are 100% clean yourself which i doubt so.

Microbius

« Reply #122 on: January 11, 2013, 08:41 »
+2
Pot, kettle where's your port?

« Reply #123 on: January 11, 2013, 08:45 »
+2

Look at Shepard Fairey from the Obey. That guy obviously traced and sell his works but still regarded as a good artist.
Another example is Cristiano Siqueira from www.crisvector.com. One cafepress imitates Shepard Fairey style and come up with obey the breed. His works are also traced but they are accepted at cafepress to be sold.




That would be called creating a derivative work, and yes it takes talent and yet it is legal.
Derivative works however are NOT allowed to be sold as stock photography with the major stock agencies (Shutterstock, iStock, Fotolia etc).  There isn't really any more do discuss.  If your images / illustrations are copied, your account will be shut down.

Microbius

« Reply #124 on: January 11, 2013, 08:46 »
+1
Also if you don't contribute to micro what was this post about?
http://www.microstockgroup.com/illustration-general/shutterstock-terminated-my-account/msg287498/#msg287498
It is funny how SS took action immediately to delete yr acct without explanation.

I tried deleting my SS and IS acct with 200+ images few weeks ago, and the images are still there.

I agree that earnings from there are quite good...........
Based on my 6 months journey with microstock listed here, the only sites that is worth uploading is Canstock, 123rf, Veer , yaymicro and GL, drawshop, toonvectors. This is based on illustrator point of view, not photographer.

Many ppl complain 123rf and Canstock is cheap, but for foreign contributors that are not based in US like me, they do not have W8ben form tax withholding rule and other silly foreign tax policies. Even though SS paid 35cent per dl, but after witholding tax, it is actually less than 20cent per dl, which is cheaper than 123rf.

IS is good, but they have 18 files upload limit per week. Unless yr files sold like hot cakes daily,  it is impossible to survive for a freelancer starting out like me.


 

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