Author Topic: Yet Another Infringement! (Read 16576 times)

cidepix · « **on:** October 13, 2010, 21:18 »

IMPORTANT EDIT: Thanks to forum members who contributed to this thread we have managed to spot two infringers "Brandzela" and "Artcome" as well as raising concerns about many suspicious images. We have found out that some of Christos Georghiou's zodiac images are removed by SS admins. Please correct that mistake as Christos Georghiou is one of the original artists who had his work stolen by the infringers.

ORIGINAL THREAD BELOW:
I have just come across this portfolio by coincidence when checking for something else. I wonder how much money does this person managed to steal from other artists before I noticed it.
Here is the suspicious portfolio: http://www.shutterstock.com/results.mhtml#gallery_id=304654

And this is why I think it is a corrupt port: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61874917.html This image is not original at all. This person stole pieces of my artwork (and other artists too) to create the above shame for himself.

Here is my original artwork: http://www.shutterstock.com/results.mhtml#photo_id=11371405&src=null
Now tell me he/she did not steal the cancer, scorpio, pisces signs!
Here are other artists’ original images which I believed this person used so he/she can create the final stolen masterpiece:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-4665649.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-13792822.html

There are elements in all those 3 images that were used to create this fake BS: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61874917.html
Please check his/her port to find out if your images are used by this person as well. I am hoping not, but what I discovered can not be a good sign.

Blufish · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2010, 21:23 »

If thats the case, I hope SS shuts them down. That's just all kinds of wrong. Glad you found it and it's resolved quickly.

cidepix · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2010, 21:29 »

Found one more: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61616965.html

This guy must be having a good laugh. Quite brave of himself putting the elements he stole from me into that image.

Renee · « **Reply #3 on:** October 14, 2010, 02:32 »

Quote from: cidepix on October 13, 2010, 21:29

Found one more: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61616965.html

This guy must be having a good laugh. Quite brave of himself putting the elements he stole from me into that image.

you should google the name that same person has other ports none with your images but you may want to watch what they do.

Microbius · « **Reply #4 on:** October 14, 2010, 02:50 »

There's more to it than that too. If you look at the bottom of this page you will see that both this artist and loads of others have taken some of the signs from the font here:
http://www.mysundial.ca/ThinkStock/the_zodiac.html
I had a better link to the original font and contacted SS about it ages ago but the had no interest in taking the offenders down at all.

Also looks like this one that stole your work: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-61874917.html
Also stole aeries from this one:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-48488860/stock-photo-illustration-representing-aries-the-ram-star-or-birth-sign-includes-the-symbol-or-icon-in-the.html

ETA: I think rather than being original images two of the files you mentioned (not yours) are just a direct copy of the font I mentioned above. The person who stole your work, and other contributors' work, also uploaded elements from the same font as these two did (in fact if you compare the two files you reference you'll see that there elements are pretty much identical to each other):
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-4665649.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-13792822.html

There's quite a few other images using this font on SS
ETA 2:
another:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-52916500/stock-vector-set-of-zodiac-icons.html
ETA 3:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-56474347/stock-vector-horoscope-sings.html
ANOTHER
ETA 4:
AND ANOTHER
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51634315/stock-vector-zodiac-sign-icon-vector.html

AND This guy stole his cancer crab:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50774689/stock-vector-zodiac-signs-vector-isolated.html
From this guy:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7556566/stock-vector-crab-monochrome-vector-illustration-of-a-stylised-crab.html

AND ANOTHER
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-52327111/stock-vector-digital-collage-of-six-black-and-white-round-horoscope-zodiac-signs-libra-scorpio-sagittarius.html

Microbius · « **Reply #5 on:** October 14, 2010, 03:02 »

Microbius · « **Reply #6 on:** October 14, 2010, 03:09 »

ETA 5 don't think I've included this series yet, again all from that same font:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-17592427/stock-photo-button-with-the-zodiacal-sign-virgo.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-17592394/stock-photo-button-with-the-zodiacal-sign-aquarius.html

I do hope SS can bother their asses to get these portfolios removed, if not those ripping off the font (though I don't see why not as they clearly infringe policy as they are not the uploaders work) then at least the ones that directly steal from other contributors.

I'm really starting to hate Shutterstock. If I can find that many problems in 20 odd minutes then why are the admins not picking this sh*t up. What the heck are we paying these people for? If your site is that proliferated with dubious stuff you need to employ someone whose job it is to just go through library and find these violations.

It's bad enough that SS is the number one place for thieves to download work, without it turning out to be the number one place for them to fence their stolen goods too!

Microbius · « **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2010, 03:58 »

More from the font:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-49996342/stock-vector--horoscope.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-2060354/stock-photo-zodiac-horoscope-brass-logo-gemini-d-illustration-background-wallpaper-clipping-path-copy-space.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-1914411/stock-photo-gemini.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-1242551/stock-photo-gemini.html

madelaide · « **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2010, 05:40 »

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 03:09

It's bad enough that SS is the number one place for thieves to download work, without it turning out to be the number one place for them to fence their stolen goods too!

Does it happen often? I mean, that copyright problems like this are neglected by SS management?

Microbius · « **Reply #9 on:** October 14, 2010, 06:14 »

Think about how many other violations are picked up by people on this forum whenever a subject category is looked into. Seems to me that it's rife, and that the admin staff at SS have no interest in looking out for it till it is reported by us. Again what do we pay them for? You'd hope that insuring the integrity of their collection is a pretty basic part of providing a library of images. How long are legitimate sales going to continue when word gets out that you can't trust licenses for use provided on Shutterstock? If their end doesn't give them enough money to employ admin staff to take care of it, them frankly they are undercharging for their subs.

ETA to be clear I am talking only about violations within SS here, not the stuff we've talked about before, where people buy subs to steal work and sell/ distribute it outside of shutterstock.

cathyslife · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2010, 07:23 »

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 06:14

Think about how many other violations are picked up by people on this forum whenever a subject category is looked into. Seems to me that it's rife, and that the admin staff at SS have no interest in looking out for it till it is reported by us. Again what do we pay them for? You'd hope that insuring the integrity of their collection is a pretty basic part of providing a library of images. How long are legitimate sales going to continue when word gets out that you can't trust licenses for use provided on Shutterstock? If their end doesn't give them enough money to employ admin staff to take care of it, them frankly they are undercharging for their subs.

I totally agree with what you are saying. But in their defense, they do have people who look into these things. Frankly, it is overwhelming, the number of thieves that are stealing and reselling our work. I am almost to the same point that lisafx is at...don't even bother looking. All it does is make me mad, then I start thinking what is the point and I just want to quit shooting. And that is not the right way to think about it. Selling microstock still supplements my income, and I need that.

I do think the sites respond but it's kind of like the drug war. So out of hand, even one little victory seems like a drop in the bucket. Squash one cockroach, and a million more are right behind it. We just need to keep reporting as often and as loud as we can.

Microbius · « **Reply #11 on:** October 14, 2010, 07:50 »

I agree in terms of people stealing work and using/ distributing it outside the sites, but stealing from other people on the site and selling it on the same site, Shutterstock seem pretty pathetic at doing anything about catching that. Look how easy it is for us to find multiple infringements every time we look for them. Compare the integrity of their collection to IStock, Dreamstime or Fotolia (as much as I hate to say anything good about IStock right now). They don't even compare.

Anyway, I don't want to derail this thread too badly, lets just hope they can be bothered to sort out this problem, at least in the case of the two people that have stolen from other members.

(on a side note, if someone has sold work that infringes another members copyright, does the money get transferred to the wronged party's account or do SS pocket the dosh after freezing or deactivating the infringing portfolio? if the latter, it might start to explain why they aren't keener to stop this stuff happening)

Microbius · « **Reply #12 on:** October 14, 2010, 08:00 »

And another, the sagittarius in link 1 is taken from link 2. That's the second stolen image found in that same file:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50774689/stock-vector-zodiac-signs-vector-isolated.html

Nicked from:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-28821397/stock-vector-illustration-representing-sagittarius-the-archer-star-or-birth-sign-includes-the-symbol-or-icon-in.html

Microbius · « **Reply #13 on:** October 14, 2010, 08:01 »

Same violations in that persons most popular file:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50036368/stock-vector-zodiac-constellation-clock.html

ETA and here: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-49535968/stock-vector-zodiac.html

ETA 2 AND here:
original:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7556566/stock-vector-crab-monochrome-vector-illustration-of-a-stylised-crab.html
Stolen:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51400312/stock-vector-old-medallion-of-zodiac-sign-cancer.html

ETA 3 AND HERE:
Original:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-28821397/stock-vector-illustration-representing-sagittarius-the-archer-star-or-birth-sign-includes-the-symbol-or-icon-in.html
Stolen:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51400330/stock-vector-old-medallion-of-zodiac-sign-sagittarius.html

ETA 4, never mind, had enough of doing their job for them *sigh* could someone please refer SS admin to this thread/ let the artists know, I'm anonymous here so don't really want to give my ID away!

cidepix · « **Reply #14 on:** October 14, 2010, 08:20 »

Brandzela is the nickname this guy has on SS.

And these are his accounts on other sites:
http://www.dreamstime.com/Brandzela_portfolio_pg1

http://depositphotos.com/portfolio.php?id=1008165

http://www.pixmac.com/author/brandzela@dt?page_num=1

I couldn't find the images with stolen figures on these other sites but just posting it so you guys can check if your work is stolen as well.. Apart from SS, I did not see my vectors being used in his port.

cathyslife · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2010, 08:27 »

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 07:50

I agree in terms of people stealing work and using/ distributing it outside the sites, but stealing from other people on the site and selling it on the same site, Shutterstock seem pretty pathetic at doing anything about catching that. Look how easy it is for us to find multiple infringements every time we look for them. Compare the integrity of their collection to IStock, Dreamstime or Fotolia (as much as I hate to say anything good about IStock right now). They don't even compare.

Anyway, I don't want to derail this thread too badly, lets just hope they can be bothered to sort out this problem, at least in the case of the two people that have stolen from other members.

(on a side note, if someone has sold work that infringes another members copyright, does the money get transferred to the wronged party's account or do SS pocket the dosh after freezing or deactivating the infringing portfolio? if the latter, it might start to explain why they aren't keener to stop this stuff happening)

Agreed. It seems like vector art is so easy for people to steal, make a small change, and re-upload it, thinking they now have derivative art they can call their own. It should be policed more carefully on SS and all the sites for that matter.

Regarding the bolded part...since I personally have twice received payments in the hundreds from Shutterstock when a client accidentally did NOT buy an extended license for images they purchased and they should have, (this has been reported by other contributors,too) I have to believe that SS is above-board on this. They didn't have to refund that EL money and we likely would have never known the difference. That being said, the worse the economy gets, the greater the increase in wrong-doing is likely to happen. I still prefer to believe that SS is nothing but very professional and has been since day one for me, since Oct. 2005.

cidepix · « **Reply #16 on:** October 14, 2010, 08:30 »

Wow Microbius! Just wow! You did a great job. So many infringements. I will notify SS support about this thread. I hope a few more people does so these thieves can be punished. I am sure their ports are full of these infringements. Do they think if they modify other artists' works enough, they get the right to sell them.

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 08:01

Same violations in that persons most popular file:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50036368/stock-vector-zodiac-constellation-clock.html

ETA and here: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-49535968/stock-vector-zodiac.html

ETA 2 AND here:
original:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7556566/stock-vector-crab-monochrome-vector-illustration-of-a-stylised-crab.html
Stolen:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51400312/stock-vector-old-medallion-of-zodiac-sign-cancer.html

ETA 3 AND HERE:
Original:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-28821397/stock-vector-illustration-representing-sagittarius-the-archer-star-or-birth-sign-includes-the-symbol-or-icon-in.html
Stolen:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51400330/stock-vector-old-medallion-of-zodiac-sign-sagittarius.html

ETA 4, never mind, had enough of doing their job for them *sigh* could someone please refer SS admin to this thread/ let the artists know, I'm anonymous here so don't really want to give my ID away!

Microbius · « **Reply #17 on:** October 14, 2010, 09:25 »

Thanks Cidepix, only thing is you start to get ulcers when you search for infringements on shutterstock for too long, it's just so depressing.
The fact that the infringer's portfolios are missing all/ most of the problem images on the other sites gives some idea of the difference in enforcement standards between Shutterstock and the other micros.

Microbius · « **Reply #18 on:** October 14, 2010, 11:09 »

Quote from: cclapper on October 14, 2010, 08:27

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 07:50
I agree in terms of people stealing work and using/ distributing it outside the sites, but stealing from other people on the site and selling it on the same site, Shutterstock seem pretty pathetic at doing anything about catching that. Look how easy it is for us to find multiple infringements every time we look for them. Compare the integrity of their collection to IStock, Dreamstime or Fotolia (as much as I hate to say anything good about IStock right now). They don't even compare.

Anyway, I don't want to derail this thread too badly, lets just hope they can be bothered to sort out this problem, at least in the case of the two people that have stolen from other members.

(on a side note, if someone has sold work that infringes another members copyright, does the money get transferred to the wronged party's account or do SS pocket the dosh after freezing or deactivating the infringing portfolio? if the latter, it might start to explain why they aren't keener to stop this stuff happening)

Agreed. It seems like vector art is so easy for people to steal, make a small change, and re-upload it, thinking they now have derivative art they can call their own. It should be policed more carefully on SS and all the sites for that matter.

Regarding the bolded part...since I personally have twice received payments in the hundreds from Shutterstock when a client accidentally did NOT buy an extended license for images they purchased and they should have, (this has been reported by other contributors,too) I have to believe that SS is above-board on this. They didn't have to refund that EL money and we likely would have never known the difference. That being said, the worse the economy gets, the greater the increase in wrong-doing is likely to happen. I still prefer to believe that SS is nothing but very professional and has been since day one for me, since Oct. 2005.

Easy way to find out, Cidepix, could you let us know if SS send you any of the money that the thief has made off of your work?

Zephyr · « **Reply #19 on:** October 14, 2010, 11:44 »

cidepix · « **Reply #20 on:** October 14, 2010, 15:35 »

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 11:09

Easy way to find out, Cidepix, could you let us know if SS send you any of the money that the thief has made off of your work?

I will; once everything is said and done. I still haven't received any response from SS.

Christos Georghiou · « **Reply #21 on:** October 16, 2010, 01:53 »

Hello, I've been lurking for a long time without posting.
I have just signed up to post on this topic. I am one of the people reported here as having had my work copied, but Shutterstock seem to have not read the topic very well and deactivated a lot of my horoscope symbols.
I haven't had any problems with them before but this had made me think they are very unprofessional or inept.
I will post the email I sent below and keep this topic updated:

"Please explain why you have removed these images.
I was pointed to a thread on microstockgroup yesterday where it was reported that someone had stolen my work.
Another user of that group said they had reported it so I didn't bother contacting you myself, now you seem to have deleted MY images.
Please look further into this, the images you removed are the original images that were copied by other users.
I noticed the most blatant copies are also still up, by user Artcome who has reuploaded versions of my crab:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7556566/stock-vector-crab-monochrome-vector-illustration-of-a-stylised-crab.html
(THIS IS MY ORIGINAL ONE)

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51400312/stock-vector-old-medallion-of-zodiac-sign-cancer.html
(THIS IS THE COPY)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-49535968/stock-vector-zodiac.html
(THIS IS ALSO A COPY)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50774689/stock-vector-zodiac-signs-vector-isolated.html
(THIS IS ALSO A COPY)
The same artist also traced my centaur for Sagittarius, but the details of this are in the thread I mentioned.
http://www.microstockgroup.com/image-sleuth/yet-another-infringement!/

I'm not sure where the confusion has come from, but the files you just removed are 100% original.
Please put them back up, as this doesn't make me think very highly of your legal department's ability to research copyright violations, or even to be able to check the date of upload of files. Is it because my upload begins with a 7 while the stolen work begins with lower numbers, if you notice my file number has 7 digits while there's has 8?
Christos Georghiou"

The file of mine I linked to is the vector version of one of the rasters they deleted

Here is a link to the complete set on another site if anyone here wants to verify that they are all original:
http://www.123rf.com/photo_2187635_horoscope-birth-zodiac-star-signs-illustrations-of-the-twelve-horoscope-zodiac-star-signs.html

cidepix · « **Reply #22 on:** October 16, 2010, 05:50 »

I was worrying they would get confused and remove wrong images. I am sure it will be corrected. When I reported, I especially stated the name Artcome as one of the infringers along with Brandzela.

So sorry to hear this happened. If they don't correct it in a reasonable amount of time, I will contact them again to support you. But I think they will sort it out eventually.

Quote from: Christos Georghiou on October 16, 2010, 01:53

Hello, I've been lurking for a long time without posting.
I have just signed up to post on this topic. I am one of the people reported here as having had my work copied, but Shutterstock seem to have not read the topic very well and deactivated a lot of my horoscope symbols.
I haven't had any problems with them before but this had made me think they are very unprofessional or inept.
I will post the email I sent below and keep this topic updated:

"Please explain why you have removed these images.
I was pointed to a thread on microstockgroup yesterday where it was reported that someone had stolen my work.
Another user of that group said they had reported it so I didn't bother contacting you myself, now you seem to have deleted MY images.
Please look further into this, the images you removed are the original images that were copied by other users.
I noticed the most blatant copies are also still up, by user Artcome who has reuploaded versions of my crab:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7556566/stock-vector-crab-monochrome-vector-illustration-of-a-stylised-crab.html
(THIS IS MY ORIGINAL ONE)

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-51400312/stock-vector-old-medallion-of-zodiac-sign-cancer.html
(THIS IS THE COPY)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-49535968/stock-vector-zodiac.html
(THIS IS ALSO A COPY)
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-50774689/stock-vector-zodiac-signs-vector-isolated.html
(THIS IS ALSO A COPY)
The same artist also traced my centaur for Sagittarius, but the details of this are in the thread I mentioned.
http://www.microstockgroup.com/image-sleuth/yet-another-infringement!/

I'm not sure where the confusion has come from, but the files you just removed are 100% original.
Please put them back up, as this doesn't make me think very highly of your legal department's ability to research copyright violations, or even to be able to check the date of upload of files. Is it because my upload begins with a 7 while the stolen work begins with lower numbers, if you notice my file number has 7 digits while there's has 8?
Christos Georghiou"

The file of mine I linked to is the vector version of one of the rasters they deleted

Here is a link to the complete set on another site if anyone here wants to verify that they are all original:
http://www.123rf.com/photo_2187635_horoscope-birth-zodiac-star-signs-illustrations-of-the-twelve-horoscope-zodiac-star-signs.html

cidepix · « **Reply #23 on:** October 16, 2010, 08:14 »

@Christos Georghiou,

I have edited the OP so it may help them understand your case when they review it.

cathyslife · « **Reply #24 on:** October 16, 2010, 08:22 »

I believe that when issues like this come up, they freeze everyone involved's account, or remove all images so they can sort it out. I am certain they will realize who the culprit is and take action and then put your images back up.

Christos Georghiou · « **Reply #25 on:** October 16, 2010, 13:47 »

Thank you all so much for the support.
I assumed that they had taken down all the images involved, but when I checked the person who stole the images still had their files up while mine had been removed.
I don't blame anyone on here for the confusion, I appreciate everyone looking out for each others copyright and protecting the community's intellectual property.
I am shocked that Shutterstock took down the images without making sure they had it right, especially as I have been selling there for so many years.
I just hope they sort it out quickly.

cathyslife · « **Reply #26 on:** October 16, 2010, 14:57 »

Quote from: Christos Georghiou on October 16, 2010, 13:47

Thank you all so much for the support.
I assumed that they had taken down all the images involved, but when I checked the person who stole the images still had their files up while mine had been removed.
I don't blame anyone on here for the confusion, I appreciate everyone looking out for each others copyright and protecting the community's intellectual property.
I am shocked that Shutterstock took down the images without making sure they had it right, especially as I have been selling there for so many years.
I just hope they sort it out quickly.

I am surprised about that too. I hope they get it sorted out quickly for you, too.

Pixel-Pizzazz · « **Reply #27 on:** October 16, 2010, 20:25 »

Quote from: madelaide on October 14, 2010, 05:40

Does it happen often? I mean, that copyright problems like this are neglected by SS management?

I had nothing but trouble trying to get an image taken down. I was told it was not 'close enough' looking. These are my actual lips. I had to get really angry and demand to see the terms that allowed such abuse before they would comply - and you know how I was 'rewarded' - my lips image that had been in the top 50 selling vectors off all time suddenly vanished from the list and subsequently stopped being a popular seller there.

My image was the #295298 - in the attached image. Is it really that hard to see the other one was just a slightly tweaked and recoloured version?

Microbius · « **Reply #28 on:** October 17, 2010, 03:32 »

Quote from: Pixel-Pizzazz on October 16, 2010, 20:25

Quote from: madelaide on October 14, 2010, 05:40
Does it happen often? I mean, that copyright problems like this are neglected by SS management?
I had nothing but trouble trying to get an image taken down. I was told it was not 'close enough' looking. These are my actual lips. I had to get really angry and demand to see the terms that allowed such abuse before they would comply - and you know how I was 'rewarded' - my lips image that had been in the top 50 selling vectors off all time suddenly vanished from the list and subsequently stopped being a popular seller there.

My image was the #295298 - in the attached image. Is it really that hard to see the other one was just a slightly tweaked and recoloured version?

Sorry everyone is having such a crappy time with Shuttertsock, I guess it's at times like these you see what a difference it makes when an artists success isn't a factor in an agency's business model. It pays to remember with the subs model the more money you make the less they do.
There's no doubt those lips are the same, they have download the actual vector from either shutterstock or elsewhere and just run the simplify filter on the paths, so the look a bit less detailed than the original.
It's really starting to look like they can't be bothered to look into these things properly, or to put it another way, to try to look after their artists and their work. Either that or they are totally incompetent.

Microbius · « **Reply #29 on:** October 18, 2010, 03:44 »

Just to follow up on the font issue. Looks like these are the copyright holders:
Font on the list here under Zodiac
http://www.graphxedge.com/fonts/symbolfonts.htm

License terms clearly stating not for Royalty free resale:
http://www.graphxedge.com/license.htm
Restrictions
We do not have many restrictions aside from a few common sense guidelines that we have listed below.

We do not allow our fonts, clipart, or imagery to be resold or redistributed in any way; or for any products to be created which would compete with Graphx Edge or in the creation of any product that resembles our product offerings. (For example: digital image sets, fonts, wallpaper sets, background sets, clip art sets, digital products, art CDs, etc) This also includes reselling these royalty free images to third-parties in order that they may then use these royalty free images to create commercial products.

Graphx Edge retains all copyrights to our royalty free products (fonts, clipart, and imagery) including modified, resized, and colorized versions of our products.

tamasvargyasi · « **Reply #30 on:** October 19, 2010, 04:24 »

What is that silence after Microbius post?

Christos Georghiou · « **Reply #31 on:** October 19, 2010, 05:29 »

Here's an update of my situation.
I received an email saying that my images have been put back.
I don't want to post it here because it has a warning in the footer about revealing the content.
What it doesn't contain is an apology or explanation about why they were deactivated, it is simply a message saying they are back up.
I am not happy about the situation, but seeing how blasé they were about deactivating my files and how little explanation they feel I deserve it seems like there is no point asking for an apology or getting into an argument. It is not worth the risk that they would deactivate my portfolio just to avoid the trouble.
Thank you all again for the help and support, I am sure that this was a big factor in getting this sorted out so promptly.

Microbius · « **Reply #32 on:** October 20, 2010, 02:24 »

Glad that that got sorted out.
The way SS are acting over the font issue is just too weird. They seem to have just deactivated all but the earliest zodiac set listed in my posts on this thread. It looks like they haven't even bothered to do a search for zodiac on the site or even read the posts properly: the zodiac font files weren't taken from the contributor linked to, they are taken from a common source (anyone, including SS admin, can just reread the thread to get get the idea, if they can be bothered to read it this time).

Lets see what happens if I do this:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-4665649/stock-vector-set-of-vector-icons-for-twelve-zodiac-signs.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-4665646/stock-vector-set-of-vector-icons-for-twelve-zodiac-signs.html

A link to even earlier files using the same font, will they now delete the one they left up just because it happened to be the earliest I listed here?
Lame, lame, lame, start doing your job. Buyers deserve at least the smallest bit of diligence on SS's part.

I still can't believe the missed the fact that so many of "zodiac" files have the same content during the review process

ETA and a couple more examples just to show that I'm not expecting too much.
Remember this just happens to be a category that came up on the forum, not necessarily a particularly bad example and searching for images originating from a single source, I'm not even trying to compare between contributors to see if they have been "inspired" by each other.
All found in last few minutes:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-49567072/stock-photo-illustration-of-a-zodiac-disc.html
and a whole series of zodiac signs in this guys portfolio all use a sometimes very slightly modified version of that graphxedge font

more from others:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-41327863/stock-vector-zodiac.html

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-41327866/stock-vector-zodiac-signs.html

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-34632994/stock-vector-background-marks-of-the-zodiac-a-vector-illustration.html

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-941653/stock-photo-zodiac-horoscope-brass-logo-virgo-d-illustration-background-wallpaper-clipping-path-copy.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-941601/stock-photo-zodiac-horoscope-brass-logo-aries-d-illustration-background-wallpaper-clipping-path-copy-space.html
etc. etc. another one with a whole set of illustrations based on the font

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-23352190/stock-photo-zodiac-signs.html
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-27388534/stock-photo-black-white-zodiac-symbols.html
and more in this port, font again, slightly modified

tamasvargyasi · « **Reply #33 on:** October 20, 2010, 12:07 »

If they don`t give enough importance to the problem, than I should start to make some zodiac icons

Microbius · « **Reply #34 on:** October 21, 2010, 11:53 »

Quote from: tamasvargyasi on October 20, 2010, 12:07

If they don`t give enough importance to the problem, than I should start to make some zodiac icons

Yeah go for it, there's a ton of other nice clip art fonts on the same site that one came from too. While your at it why not trace other contributors photos too, they don't seem to care about that either as they don't ask for your source files:
http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/thief-among-us/msg167381/?topicseen#new
I wonder what buyers actually use Shutterstock, knowing what goes into the collection. Is it just there for as a resource Heroturko and his thieving friends now?

cathyslife · « **Reply #35 on:** October 21, 2010, 14:39 »

Quote from: Christos Georghiou on October 19, 2010, 05:29

Here's an update of my situation.
I received an email saying that my images have been put back.
I don't want to post it here because it has a warning in the footer about revealing the content.
What it doesn't contain is an apology or explanation about why they were deactivated, it is simply a message saying they are back up.
I am not happy about the situation, but seeing how blasé they were about deactivating my files and how little explanation they feel I deserve it seems like there is no point asking for an apology or getting into an argument. It is not worth the risk that they would deactivate my portfolio just to avoid the trouble.
Thank you all again for the help and support, I am sure that this was a big factor in getting this sorted out so promptly.

That IS very disappointing. I'm just playing devil's advocate, but maybe they cannot say too much otherwise they put themselves in jeopardy with privacy laws, slander, etc. etc. You know, the criminals are the ones with all the rights. I am in no way sticking up for them, I just try to envision both sides of the coin.

tamasvargyasi · « **Reply #36 on:** October 22, 2010, 05:17 »

So what I don`t get is, if those symbols are font symbols from graphixedge, than how it`s possible that someone else is claiming the rights for it. But maybe I`m to shorty.

N.Exposure · « **Reply #37 on:** October 27, 2010, 07:55 »

Why should SS care? Just more images to make sales with. $:-\$

RacePhoto · « **Reply #38 on:** October 29, 2010, 00:40 »

Oops - error on my part.

Here's a reject photo for your trouble to come and look here:

Microbius · « **Reply #39 on:** December 13, 2010, 13:10 »

Quote from: cidepix on October 14, 2010, 15:35

Quote from: Microbius on October 14, 2010, 11:09
Easy way to find out, Cidepix, could you let us know if SS send you any of the money that the thief has made off of your work?

I will; once everything is said and done. I still haven't received any response from SS.

Hey Cidepix, I think I can guess the answer, but did they ever cough up any of the cash the thief made from your work?

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