[x]
All Deviations

Since RATF has made DA members aware of so much stolen art, how many of you now watermark your images?

45%
147 deviants said I made my own watermark, and put it on everything.
24%
78 deviants said I use the DA watermark, it is much easier.
22%
71 deviants said I do not like watermarks, so I don't use them.
4%
12 deviants said I don't care one way or the other.
4%
12 deviants said I dispise watermarks and refuse to use them on my work.
2%
7 deviants said What is the point of watermarking?

Shoutboard

Please be advised that ALL displays of any images on the RATF pages which include the External RATF site, are for noncommercial research purposes to further our investigative efforts in connection with possible infringements and we will remove images immediately once we identify the information required or have authorization from the copyright owner to continue displaying the works.


from *im1happy
To :iconrippedarttaskforce: THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING A GREAT JOB!! The center of it is us the Community bonding together to make a difference

from *beigebuddha
For.......:iconrippedarttaskforce: The Admin'. and Volunteer's........:rose:


NOTICE TO ALL RATF STAFF:
You have all been divided into categories for the special services you are providing. Each one has a distinctive icon which you will need to place in your journals to identify you as a member. These are only for RATF members...if you do not have the ability to post the thumbnail, a link will be great. We want to let our communities know that they can report theft to you as well. If this should happen, please note us, and we will assign the investigation. Thank you to all of you for volunteering your help to Stop Art Theft!

ADMINISTRATORS
`1arcticfox `DWALKER1047 *laurengary `cmptrwhz

ASSISTANT TO ADMINISTRATORS
*anjaleck (Assistant to *anjaleck-=LonesomeFaery) *beigebuddha

INFORMATION AND EDUCATION SERVICES
*droz928 *Marsille *DuckOfDeath

RESEARCH SERVICES AND CORRESPONDENCE
*SethraLavode *KainApophysis =pantherwitch4982

MONITORING AND INVESTIGATIONS
=Almoace =milleniumsentry *davidlee1965 =Illusio-5

PROCEDURES-THEFT PREVENTION
*moofied1

TRANSLATORS
=Re-d-D-ot(Dutch & French)
~no-reaction (Chinese simple and traditional)
~The-Real-Syko (Spanish)

GRAPHICS
*MouseRunner =LyinRyan `Sophquest

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

ASSISTANT TO VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
=Illusio-5 *beigebuddha ~frdmlong

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS
*Artress *baba49 ~bcre80v ~BekkaLynn =BleedingPuppet =Druology *ExquisiteDistraction ~eyez409 ~FallingStarOfLight ~Fan-Art =Filliu-Mayragh *Fraxa ~genlisae *im1happy *KK-the-Fox =LeonaWindrider ~Littlebittybonsai =Livana-Deathrose *live2b ~Lleen-Ja `Lovely-Demented *ocelot99992003 =opinionatedelf ~Pawnshopheart00 =PinkMonkeyLove *Rachzee =setkeh *sparx222 *Star-Maiden ~stitchmouth =Sunstone72 ~Trickster4eva =TwilightAmbiance *violettay ~VmtWars ~x-Illia-x :devZimmadonna:

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


1. Maintain a professional attitude in all comments, and communications with the highest standard of integrity.

2. Stick to facts - operate on the basis of fact, not rumor.

3. Verify with the artist that their work is stolen, and do not under any circumstances assume that it is.

4. Refrain from bashing, foul/obscene language, yelling or calling someone a thief. This will absolutely not be tolerated under any circumstances...EVER!

5. If you are a volunteer, stay dispassionate and neutral in all your communications.

6. Refer all policy issues to the RATF administration.

7. Refer all disputes involving theft accusations, to the Administration staff to handle.

8. Remember that your actions/communications reflect on ALL RATF staff.

9. Refer disagreements about copyright issues to the Administration staff to handle.

10. Be aware that we will not tolerate “unorthodox” or illegal manners of handling theft.
*************************************************************
INTERESTING INFORMATION AND HELPFUL LINKS....PLEASE CHECK OUT!!!!!

Preventing Theft [link]
Online Copyrights [link]
U.S. Copyright Office [link]
Digimarc [link]
deviantART Wikie Entry [link]




:star:WARNING TO VOLUNTEERS:star:
PLEASE BE AWARE, there is the distinct possibility that you may search a site that will put you at the risk to get viruses, Trojans or Spy/Malware!! Please keep your anti-virus signatures up to date and do frequent scans. Having more than one AV and/or Trojan programs is better. There is NO perfect protection, but we recommend (we get nothing from this) that you download the free version of McAfee SiteAdvisor. [link] It resides on your toolbar and warns of problem sites. You STILL must use common sense, though! If you wish to not do searches for RATF because of this we will understand. While searching two nights ago, 1arcticfox had a malware/Trojan deposited on her computer called “Error Safe”. It masquerades as a Microsoft notice box, asking you to download “Error Safe” to check for errors in your registry. She did NOT download this, but still was infected and is still dealing with that – even though she runs 3 Anti-virus programs and has 2 firewalls! More information on this will be available soon.

Shoutbox

~sukiyakii-chan:iconsukiyakii-chan:
How horrifying. D:
Sun Jun 8, 2008, 3:27 PM
*fantasydreamer24:iconfantasydreamer24:
:worship: :salute:
Mon Mar 17, 2008, 12:45 PM
~OMFG-Fairy:iconOMFG-Fairy:
O=
Mon Dec 10, 2007, 6:22 PM
~jimmytc25:iconjimmytc25:
~.~
Wed Dec 5, 2007, 7:05 PM
~pipertim:iconpipertim:
Eros+Psyche how do you steal overpaint?
Tue Nov 6, 2007, 7:51 AM
~Krad-Eelav:iconKrad-Eelav:
Keep up the great work! :salute:
Sat Nov 3, 2007, 6:46 PM
~elita141:iconelita141:
Great idea!
Mon Sep 3, 2007, 5:14 PM
=CindeeRoo:iconCindeeRoo:
RATF :worship:
Sat Sep 1, 2007, 12:56 AM
*FrisianDude:iconFrisianDude:
:salute:
Sun Aug 26, 2007, 1:35 AM
=catluvr2:iconcatluvr2:
Another :salute:
Thu Aug 23, 2007, 6:23 PM
=matimoo:iconmatimoo:
KUTAW guys!!! :hug:
Mon Aug 20, 2007, 1:20 AM
~Ash360:iconAsh360:
this club rules, keep up the hard work :D
Sat Aug 18, 2007, 4:52 PM
^znow-white:iconznow-white:
:hug:
Fri Aug 17, 2007, 4:57 PM
~theshadowmistress:icontheshadowmistress:
Just a quick :hug:
Thu Aug 9, 2007, 1:35 PM
=catluvr2:iconcatluvr2:
:salute::police::salute:
Thu Aug 9, 2007, 12:43 PM
~firebird101:iconfirebird101:
Hmm... anyone ever checked fanart.com?
Tue Aug 7, 2007, 1:13 AM
=Zimadonna:iconZimadonna:
GO TEAM GO! :#1:
Sun Aug 5, 2007, 11:35 PM
~SparkzaBme:iconSparkzaBme:
:blowkiss: :smooch: :boogie: :dance: :worship: :hug: :cuddle: :highfive: :w00t: Thank you for the service you're doing, We appreciate it.
Sun Aug 5, 2007, 4:37 PM
*WiseWanderer:iconWiseWanderer:
Congrats to all of you for your work
Sat Aug 4, 2007, 4:17 PM
~Raptor13270:iconRaptor13270:
YESSS..... Get them all :evillaugh:
Tue Jul 31, 2007, 6:28 PM

Disclaimer

The views expressed on this website are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of deviantART or my employers.

CLOSED CASES

Journal Entry: Fri Aug 3, 2007, 6:13 PM

Currently, our team is completely buried. What we need are people who can look for specific information we require on a rip, and report it back to the Volunteer Coordinator. We are all doing our best to handle all of the rips being reported to us, and the volunteers we have at this moment have done an OUTSTANDING JOB!!!!:clap: You are all to be commended!! I cannot possibly say that with enough emphasis.

I want everyone to know that although we do not respond to every note, they are read by me. We will respond to the very important messages sent to us as we are doing our best to coordinate efforts and do a service to this community. So, please keep this in mind. If you are interested in joining, please let me know so I can add you to our Task Force. Everyone's help is appreciated!
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

LINK TO OUR SERVICES--->
[link]
CURRENT RIP INVESTIGATIONS--->[link]
DWALKER1047 STOLEN ART JOURNAL--->[link]
1ARCTICFOX STOLEN ART JOURNAL--->[link]
LAURENGARY STOLEN ART JOURNAL--->
DRAGONWINTER STOLEN ART JOURNAL--->[link]


LINK TO OUR SERVICES--->[link]

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


COMPLETED INVESTIGATIONS


IMAGESHACK BUTTERFLY RIP

187 IMAGES WERE REMOVED!
________________________________________
FUROCITY
Reported by :iconwrathofnessis:
The RATF investigated this and couldn't find anything. We highly encourage artists to take a look at this site for themselves. Please be warned. The site is disgusting-->[link]
________________________________________
SIMS2CREATORS EDIT: This case has been reopened. Art rips have been found. All artists, please go and look at this link and see if you find any of your art there. If you do, please notify RATF. [link]
________________________________________

FRESH-PAPER RIP-ALL 4 GALLERIES 36,000) DA IMAGES REMOVED!!!!!
________________________________________ _________________________________
IMAGESHACK FRACTAL GALLERY RIP HAS BEEN REMOVED AS OF 07-28-08. That is a total of 279 images!!!!! OUTSTANDING JOB EVERYONE!!!! :dance: *NOTE-The butterfly gallery still remains, and we have reported it several times to the host site. So, we will continue to monitor to ensure it is removed!! :dance:
________________________________________ _________________________________
FOTOLOG 07-28-07

The volupia_sm account has been deactivated


Hooray! :dance: :dance: :dance:
________________________________________ ________________________________
YOUTUBE

:iconfraxa: had 3 or 4 videos ripped...last report was that ALLhad been removed.

:highfive: :highfive:
________________________________________ ________________________________

YAHOO! RIP TAKEN DOWN!! 07-20-07

Investigation completed by =Almoace
After a letter sent by =Almoace Yahoo! has taken down the ripped images.
:boogie: :boogie: :boogie:
________________________________________ ________________________________
:iconkainapophysis: reports his images were removed! OUTSTANDING!! :dance:
:dance: YEAH!! :dance:
________________________________________ ________________________________
INVESTIGATION COMPLETED BY LORRIE 07-19-07

=Princess-of-Shadows reports that her images have been taken down, and ~IsabelleLaurin was reporting on behalf of =Princess-of-Shadows and someone else (whose images have been removed) and not herself. So, this one is sorted.

:dance: YEAH!!
________________________________________ ________________________________ PICOODLE

HERE'S ANOTHER WINNER - INVESTIGATION COMPLETED BY =PinkMonkeyLove 07-19-07


was being shown on Picoodle
After a letter, =PinkMonkeyLove is now able to report that the image has been taken down.
YEAH!!! GO TEAM! :boogie:
________________________________________ _________________________________
INVESTIGATION #2 OPENED 07-10-07
COMPLETED BY LORRIE 07-16-07
Also, a possible issue reported at photobucket with art being openly sold on cups, keychains, calendars,etc to anyone of the works that have been uploaded to Photobucket.

In answer, yes they can. That's pretty much what you agree to by using their services. MySpace and Facebook operate the same way. Many company employees that post their company logos on their myspace accounts and facebook are finding that they face diciplinary action because they have made copyrighted company material available for use in the public domain.

Anyway....I have copied some crucial sections of the TOU that deal with this clause.

==============================================================

1. Description of the Services

Photobucket provides its Registered Users (defined below) with the ability to host a variety of content, including without limitation images and videos (including any audio accompanying the videos) ("Content") that Registered Users own or to which they have the necessary rights ("User Content"), in order to share User Content via the Web on, for example, auction websites such as eBay, classified advertising websites, online journals, blogs, message boards, personal websites, social networking sites, and online photo albums. Registered Users and visitors to the Site may also order, via the Site or via partner websites ("Partner Sites"), prints, photographs, t-shirts, and similar items that incorporate publicly available Content.

Lorrie says "THIS SECTION SHOULD BE READ THROUGH CAREFULLY."

3. Your License to Photobucket

Photobucket does not claim any ownership rights in any User Content that you choose to post to the Site. After posting User Content to the Site,you continue to retain all ownership or license rights in your User Content and you continue to have the right to use your User Content as you did prior to such posting. However, by posting or making User Content available through the Site or via the Services, you hereby grant to Photobucket a nonexclusive, royalty-free, transferable, worldwide license to use, copy, modify, prepare derivative works from, distribute, publicly display and publicly perform (whether by means of a digital audio transmission or otherwise) and process your User Content, or any part of it, solely on and through the Site and Services, including without limitation (a) adapting the format of your User Content (for example by encoding or transcoding) for suitable display on the Site; and (b) displaying, in Photobucket's sole discretion, your public User Content in search results generated by the Photobucket search engine. In addition, where you have made your User Content public, posted a link to your User Content on another website or otherwise shared a link to your User Content, you grant to Photobucket a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide right to sublicense the right to copy, modify, prepare derivative works from, and distribute your User Content as necessary to perform the Services, including without limitation the printing services offered by Partner Sites. In connection with the above license, you provide your consent for Photobucket personnel, including Photobucket contractors and service providers, to view your User Content at any time for the purpose of providing the Services and filtering content that violates this Agreement. You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for all Content you submit to the Site or provide to the Service. You represent that you either own the User Content or have the rights necessary to grant Photobucket this license.

Your license to Photobucket with respect to any particular piece of User Content will terminate once you or Photobucket remove it from the Site.

==========================================================

Hope this helps. Basically, any site that hosts your images (for free) has most likely a clause that allows them to re-distribute your content as they see fit. READ TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE VERY, VERY CAREFULLY.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



RATF DISCLAIMER





We are working as hard and as fast as possible to deal with all the information coming in.

We are swamped and apologize - respond times to comments/questions may be slow.

We are not perfect – note us if there is an oversight…it is not intentional.

Comments left on the RATF site by others - are THEIR opinions – not necessarily ours.

We need volunteers who will uphold the volunteer code of ethics.

We WILL NOT tolerate unprofessional conduct or illegal or unorthodox methods… period.

This is not a vigilante task force.

We simply want to help people with their art theft and copyright issues.

We are volunteers and do not deserve abuse, we are merely assisting you to resolve your rip issues!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


NOTICE
The Ripped Art Task Force gallery and images contained in it are Copyright ©2007-2008 RippedArtTaskForce. All rights reserved. All the materials contained in this deviantART gallery may not be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted, borrowed, duplicated, printed, downloaded, or uploaded in any way without the express written permission of the owner of said image. These images do not belong to the public domain.

Devious Comments

love 2 2 joy 3 3 wow 1 1 mad 0 0 sad 0 0 fear 0 0 neutral 0 0

*beigebuddha:iconbeigebuddha: Jul 18, 2007, 12:24:14 AM Mood: Wow!
:hug: WELL DONE Everyone, OUTSTANDING performance by all.....:clap: :clap: :clap:

ALL Together we can make a difference......:rose:

--
XX.......Beige

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One smile can start a Million words :meditation:
*RippedArtTaskForce:iconRippedArtTaskForce: Jul 18, 2007, 12:31:24 AM
Thank you...we think so to. We are thrilled for all of the support we have been recieving from the community. We can feel the :love: and it feels good! :dance: We are still making changes and looking for volunteers. We found several big rips from DA today quite by accident...was hoping to post them tonight, but even I have to get at least 3 hours of sleep a day...hehehehehe..:hug:ss Then again, there is always tomorrow. :)

--
Together We can make a difference!!! Stop ripping by reporting it!
*RippedArtTaskForce:iconRippedArtTaskForce: Jul 18, 2007, 12:33:17 AM
Pat yourself on the back as well....you have also done an OUTSTANDING JOB!!!! Have some more coming your way. :)

--
Together We can make a difference!!! Stop ripping by reporting it!
*purple-whirlpool:iconpurple-whirlpool: Jul 18, 2007, 4:45:59 AM
Thank you. At last someone that cares. Good job and well done to all at RATF :clap:

--
NNTR: No need to reply. No need to thank me for every comment, or say You're Welcome if I have said Thank You to you.
*live2b:iconlive2b: Jul 18, 2007, 5:08:10 AM
You are doing a super job!! I am really proud of what you have done.:w00t:

--
:bow: Everybody's entitled to my opinion!!!! :bow:

:lmao: I know, I know, all my marbles aren't round!! :lmao:

Member of *Apophysis
*Tubaholics-Anonymous
=laurengary:iconlaurengary: Jul 18, 2007, 8:46:17 AM
Rock on team ! :w00t:

--
Click To Save Lives !

That was Zen, but this is Tao.

Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before !
*RippedArtTaskForce:iconRippedArtTaskForce: Jul 18, 2007, 5:41:06 PM
Awwww...thank you my dear...:hug:ss

--
Together We can make a difference!!! Stop ripping by reporting it!
*RippedArtTaskForce:iconRippedArtTaskForce: Jul 18, 2007, 5:42:25 PM
Thank you very much! We are fortunate to have enough willing volunteers to want to help everyone in the community to make it safe from ripping!!! I am so proud of everyone!!! :hug:ss

--
Together We can make a difference!!! Stop ripping by reporting it!