LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Company Possibly taking images without Permission

6K views 126 replies 57 participants last post by  Darrell 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I just wanted to post a quick heads up to fellow Lumberjock members. I just discovered a furniture making business on the web that appears to have not only stolen an image of my work but also several images from postings here at lumberjocks - They images and designs are offered for sale in their portfolio.

I personally feel it is a great compliment when someone thinks enough of one of my designs to copy it for personal use ( no money involved) But if it is a commercial venture that is NOT OK.

here is the link to the offending site…
http://thefurniturewerks.com/portfolio.html
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
This problem has been exposed many times before.
I think that the conclusion was that there is nothing we can do about it.
I would be pissed if someone stole my design to make money with it and without giving a percentage but I do not have to post my designs and if I do post them, I know the risk I take.
Everything posted on the Internet is immediately, that you agree with it or not ,made public.
If you do not like that, do not post your projects.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
Bert , while I agree that we do not have to post our designs outright theft of a design is just that, theft and can be prosecuted. The images are protected by copyright law the second the photos are taken and DMCA when posted to the internet. Copying someone's design and claiming it is your own ( which is what they are doing because they are using the original images not photos of the version they built is illegal and even in the furniture business can be enforced. IKEA has been sued and Room & Board has also both lost . Darrell, thanks for the heads up.
 
#4 ·
Bert - there is a lot of misconception out there. I have consulted with an attorney and especially when they have stolen not only my design but my photo - I can go after them legally.
I make a living from this - like I have said, I feel it a great compliment when someone copies my work for personal use (again no money involved) - But I will not allow another to make a profit from my property which I have spent my entire adult life working towards.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Darell, I just looked at your webpage, I love your work.
I want to keep the Internet as free as possible, free from cops and regulations.
The government , all governments, do everything they can to change that, especially our government .
This freedom, like every freedom, has a price. The price you pay is one of them.
You are free to post or to not post.
You post , you take a risk.
This certainly does not mean that I do not understand your position or that I do not care.I do care.
You are an artist and you own your designs but again you take the risk by posting the pictures of your work.
No one force you to do it.
 
#10 ·
This is the reason I started adding my logo as a watermark on my angelfish. I haven't found a need with my woodworking, but that is probably only because I don't really search other woodworking sites but this one.
 
#11 ·
That's a low down rotten thing to do. A letter from an attorney will probably get the photo down quickly, but it probably won't stop them from building one of their own and photographing it.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm stealing all your designs. You make some incredible furniture.

I see the dilemma here, you don't want someone to profit off your designs but you want to post your work online.

I don't make anything that someone would want to steal so it's not personal to me. I also don't prosper off anyone one design because it is all custom, one off. I am sure at some point my design has been stolen from someone else's pic and i just think I came up with it all on my own..

If I was in a position like yours Darrell I would bend someone over one of your tables and have Bubba make them his girlfriend.

Take pics with your phone to post on LJ, problem solved.
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
Darrell, I'm not sure how the theft of your artistic design would play out but I assume your attorney has that covered. I wonder if your post about this issue had the right key words if would not show up on search engines when ever thefurniturewerks page shows up in searches. I would not hire a builder contractor who steals photos and misrepresents their accomplishments.

I did not notice your design but I did see a distinctive curly maple jewelry cabinet from here, then I quit looking. I hate to say it but I do wonder if the admin might need consider using a watermarking app for our viewing pleasure.
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm offended….none of my designs or pics were infringed upon! ;-)

Seriously Darrell - It's one thing to mimic a design, but it's quite another to actually use your photos in their gallery and imply it's their own….that intuitively seems like it should be illegal.

p.s. You do some really incredible work!
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
Darrell, you were right to talk to an attorney. Contact that jerk site and tell them to take down that stuff, and contact LJ. I don't know how your business is set up, whether you have copyrights to your work, but this is in the TOS of the LJ site:

22. COPYRIGHTS
We respect the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, or your intellectual property rights have been otherwise violated, please send us the following information:

1. an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other intellectual property interest;
2. a description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property that you claim has been infringed;
3. a description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located on the site;
4. your address, telephone number, and email address;
5. a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
6. a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your Notice is accurate and that you are the copyright or intellectual property owner or authorized to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner's behalf.
 
#17 ·
I am surprised by the answers. Darrell is an outstanding furniture maker in the Greene & Greene style and has two books out on how to make this style of furniture. Not only this, he is a really nice guy, he has helped me with a few questions in the past without even knowing who I am.

He definitively has grounds for a law suit, not only does he make his living at this, but the projects posted are his personal designs, not copies from a Greene & Greene furniture.

Darrell I hope you go after these guys and force them to remove your images. Best of luck.
 
#18 ·
The fact that someone would steal someone else's photos and designs just shows that they are not capable enough or proud enough of their own work to use their own photos. Do they plan to identically create one of those stolen pieces if a customer wants to place an order?
It is good that you are talking to a lawyer and hopefully it will do some good
 
#19 ·
Id also go right ahead and put THEFURNITUREWERKS.COM in the heading of this thread. Let google do its thing and hit em in the pocketbook. Let their clients see their shady marketing when searching for reviews of the company. Im very sure LJ's will be in the first page of a google search with the amount of traffic that flows through here.
 
#25 ·
Well, I guess they didn't see fit to steal any of my stuff. I'm not offended.

I advertise on Craigslist. One time, after a Google search, I found my complete Craigslist ad including all photos and text and website link, directly copied and pasted to isell.com. I had never even heard of isell.com until then.

Not sure what somebody was trying to achieve but I had the ad removed after contacting admin there.

I'm not the most knowledgeable regarding copyright laws but I know that I can at least add a copyright watermark to my photos very easily with my free image editing software. Might not be official but may at least provide a deterrent - just a thought for others as well.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top