honest opinions needed please

[EXOTICYORKIES]

After all 50emails and threats and naughty reviews on my website suggesting to my potential puppy buyers that I was a thief and not to buy a puppy from me because I won't remove a image means I'm a unethical breeder I wouldn't be surprised if she emailed my customers, of course that woulnt matter because all they care about is that I sold them a healthy pet that they are totally in love with she also said using "her" image is getting me customers..... what !!!lol since when do customers go to websites and say hey look at that animated yorkie picture I am going to buy a yorkie from her,it was very hard to sale my babies so maybe her "image" might have lost me customers I do my best to maintain my image as being a reputable breeder but if every person who comes along and threaten to ruin my reputation if I don't do what they want then what ? I never thought someone would ever go as far as to ruin someones reputation over a image that neither one of us own. goodnight everyone who knows maybe all this and the image will all go away tomorrow

[Bianca]

To ruin your reputation over an animated picture is more than ridiculous to me. You need to understand there are people in this world who are completely nuts. All she had to do was email you and tell you she created it and to take it down and you should comply .
Why go through all this crap and nonsense for an animated picture? You probably can create your own. If someone threatened me with a lawyer over a picture I mean an animated one I would probably die laughing. Take the picture down and tell her to go sue Photo-Bucket.
To me it's not worth all this drama. I could see if it was a real picture of her dogs or puppies, but an animated one. GEEz , people need a life !

[Maximo]

I collect graphics from the web to make things for my little nephews and I have learned that the people who "make" them are very possessive and not worth battling. As you pointed out, the original artwork is someone else's. The person who animated the piece owes the original artist.

I would remove the animated Yorkie from your website and hope that the person is satisfied and goes away. Good luck!

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I collect graphics from the web to make things for my little nephews and I have learned that the people who "make" them are very possessive and not worth battling. As you pointed out, the original artwork is someone else's. The person who animated the piece owes the original artist.

I would remove the animated Yorkie from your website and hope that the person is satisfied and goes away. Good luck!

I would too - there's plenty of things you could put on your site without this kind of headache

I have tons of clipart and always tell people who ask for it that I don't know if it's copyrighted and use it at THEIR dicretion - personally I don't use it and have no idea why I have it now (can't remember) but if it's signed - I don't snag

[Reese1]

Not that this is the same exactly, but it reminds me of a court case I saw on Judge Judy or People's court one time.
This lady was suing this bar because he took a photo of her off a free photo site and used it in a flyer for his business.
I can't remember all the details, but I know the bar lost and had to pay her because she said he can't use her photo to promote or sell his business without her permission.
I know this is an animated thing, but it made me think of it.
Personally, I would remove it. There are so many graphics out there, why deal with the headache!

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by Reese1

Not that this is the same exactly, but it reminds me of a court case I saw on Judge Judy or People's court one time.
This lady was suing this bar because he took a photo of her off a free photo site and used it in a flyer for his business.
I can't remember all the details, but I know the bar lost and had to pay her because she said he can't use her photo to promote or sell his business without her permission.
I know this is an animated thing, but it made me think of it.
Personally, I would remove it. There are so many graphics out there, why deal with the headache!

Really ? I have a website (www.designsByVillette.com) and many of my graphics I use for the Custom Labels I do for you all are from the net -

some I've 'changed' for personal reasons but I didn't make them - and they're plastered on the net (not that anyone looks at my website lol) but they are there and I use them when I do Custom Address Labels for people using their own pets.

the PETS on my labels are all from people who order and I use their personal photos - but the graphics are part of the designing of the labels

they were all from free sites - I don't use copyrighted stuff - you can normally see it right on the graphic or the site will say you need permission to use but many out there have graphics that are free to anyone

[Dixies Mom]

Originally Posted by EXOTICYORKIES

Hi yt, yesterday I was emailed by a woman who said that I had a animated yorkie that belong to her and threatened to sue me if I don't remove it so I told her I didn't steal any images I got it from a free public image sight so I asked was she the artist because I would remove it and she said no but she animated the image so I said well you don't own it so she threatened to ruin my reputation if I did not remove the image ,she also went to my guestbook and wrote I was a thief and had no ethics and my customers should beware so now I'm pissed I simply said if she was the artist I would take it down but because she is not I would not be bullied with threats so anyway I designed my website over and took off all images that she said was on my site and she told me who they belong to but I did not take the animated image off because again she is not the artist she just claims she animated so it belongs to her ok so opinions needed should I remove it or keep it and keep in mind. She said she saw it on the free site so she know I got it off but she went through some weird measures today that could have cost my puppy a home with the bad reviews she kept posting it is lucky I won't be breeding for a while but the point is if I had babies to place she tried to ruin my reputation over 2 images and then in the end told me I could have the image but it cost 200 for her to design for me per image but again she is not the creator of this image she said she made his eyes close so it is hers what you think pleas be honest I an open and want the truth regardless if I like it or not .....thanks

Pay me 200.00 or I will ruin your reputation? Sounds like extortion.

[lillymae]

Originally Posted by Dixies Mom

Pay me 200.00 or I will ruin your reputation? Sounds like extortion.

Exactly ! And if she doesn't own it then she's breaking the law Not You.

[Reese1]

Originally Posted by red98vett

Really ? I have a website (Designs by Villette) and many of my graphics I use for the Custom Labels I do for you all are from the net -

some I've 'changed' for personal reasons but I didn't make them - and they're plastered on the net (not that anyone looks at my website lol) but they are there and I use them when I do Custom Address Labels for people using their own pets.

the PETS on my labels are all from people who order and I use their personal photos - but the graphics are part of the designing of the labels

they were all from free sites - I don't use copyrighted stuff - you can normally see it right on the graphic or the site will say you need permission to use but many out there have graphics that are free to anyone

I mean this was an actual photo of a person and it was in flyers that were distributed for a bar/club, so I don't know if that made a difference. I still was somewhat surprised since the photos were on a site like that, but she won.

[107barney]

Even if you get images from the "free sites" you have to look at the licensing terms. Some allow you to use them for personal use only, and others allow you to buy the license (different kinds for different things) if you want to use them for commercial purposes.

So if the artist who created the animation had the license to use the original image to create the animation, then she may be able to claim a copyright in that animation and therefore tell you that you are infringing on her copyright.

I'd take it down and move on - you should be using your own images or buying licenses anyway if you are running a website for commercial purposes.