Yet More Internet Thievery

Some time ago, I wrote about how my images turn up all over the internet on sites without my permission, often with no accreditation and NEVER with me actually earning anything from them. The example I talked about was this cartoon of a burglar (seen here being used on a site without my permission).

Just recently I had occasion to Google a two page illustrated spread I did for the QI H Annual a few years ago. The image is owned by them and me and, proud of it as I am, I put a copy on my website to advertise my skills. Upon checking the image today, I've found a staggering number of sites that have just helped themselves. There are even sites that cheekily cut the image up, alter it and offer no credit to me (or QI) at all (in fairness, when I contacted the site this image is lifted from, they removed it immediately).

Or this Geocaching site or this blog or this design site or ... I could post links all evening. Now, as it happens, this image hasn't impacted on me as much as the burglar image did; I was paid to do this one and the copyright lies with myself and QI. However, I've never earned a single penny from the burglar image even though it's now reproduced on hundreds of sites. And that just isn't fair.

 

These aren't the only two of my images this has happened to. There are lots more.

Back when I wrote the burglar blogpost I threatened to watermark every picture. From now on, that's exactly what I'm doing. I've had enough.

 

I earn bugger all from art as it is. I refuse to contribute to my further demise by providing free art for all and sundry to help themselves to.

 

Grr.