An important alert to the artists of TC

This thread from Tiki Marketplace might be of particular interest to the artists on TC:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=15570&forum=12&start=15&17

Until this gets cleared up, I'd urge all of you to be on the lookout for illegal use of your designs, especially on eBay. If you do see your designs being used illegally, contact eBay to have the auction stopped.

Hopefully surfinstro can explain this to us in a way that is satisfactory. All TCers should feel free to let their voices be heard on this issue.

Thanks Humu.
:)

Tiki- Protector of the artist/creative/fun... Not to be messed with.

Humuhumu- Special TC Agent and now Tiki Demi-God. Also not to be messed with.

:D

Yeah Humu, thanks for looking out for us artistic types.

Chongolio

All stone casting that I have sold on ebay have been purchased thru another eBay member "gostatue". She has been selling there since 2002. There is another member on here who sells the same type of casting only they are in plaster who has stated that I stole his molds. But as it turns out he has purchased similar molds from another mold seller.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8205812260&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
In fact he paints them the same way as the mold seller has advertised.
I have molds of S&P shakers that I will be selling as soon as they are painted. Also I have copy molds of KAHIKI necklaces that I sell.

Yawn.....

Yawn on this...

Surfinstro, thank you for clarifying the source of your mold for one of the questionable items you are selling. However, I've confirmed with Bamzeno of Tiki Freaks that the necklaces you are selling are a Tiki Freaks design, and thus not available as a mold, and that he most definitely has not given permission for the use of his design.

No he hasen't given permission to sell them. In fact I haven't sold one yet. They were listed twice with no bids. I believe it is the best one too. How about I give them away with each purchase?
I am in the process of carving my own so I can sell them.
I know exactly how it is when someone copies your work. I had quite a few stain glass projects of mine copied and then published. I made $0. I couldn't do a damm thing about it as the company had lawyers and I didn't. I took it as a compliment, that's all I had.

Does Capt'n Skully know your using his image on your homepage?

[ Edited by: FLOUNDERart 2005-07-22 13:33 ]

I've banned Surfinstro. For the members here who know him personally, please let him know that he was completely out of line.

I'd like to point out that I watched the Surfinstro stuff go down over the last few weeks but never got a complaint from a user until 2 days ago. I look to U-Mods for hints as to what the members of Tiki Central want to happen.

~Hanford

No loss.

Hey guys,

This man has contacted me about purchasing one of my carvings. What should I do? Is he actually making molds of people's work and marketing them? If so, I'll see what my lawyer friends have to say about that. Federal lawyers know everything! I believe that as an artist running a legal small business and selling original work, I am covered by some copywrite laws. I'll look further into it, but if your pieces have been copied/duplicated, you should to speak to a lawyer or do some research. Any illegal/unauthorized molds need to be destroyed, and people need to be compensated.

I sell my carvings for people to enjoy, not copy, cast, and make money on. That sucks!

-Gman

surfinstro-SOB-ocean tiki, etc....?

In the "Immortal words of Rodney Dangerfield, No RESPECT!!"

How much sense does that make to kick him off this forum?
Because he copied someones design? Are these designs copywrited? Is the site owner based in Russia or USA?
EVERYBODY COPYS SOMEONE ELSE. THERE IS NO ORIGINAL DESIGN ANYWHERE.

Sure there are.

On 2005-07-24 13:00, Razor wrote:
How much sense does that make to kick him off this forum?
Because he copied someones design?

I don't want him advertising here. He was just re-casting other's work; ripping off the original artists web graphics; blatantly flaunting the original source by saying stuff like "we're half the price of the Tiki Freaks!"; and being snotty here when people called him on it. The guy has no sense of ethics and I don't want him hanging around Tiki Central.

Are these designs copywrited?

Yes, they are. Every piece of art created is automatically Copyrighted when it is created, whether it has a (c) symbol on it or not.

From the US Copyright Website:

When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created.

To claim that there is no original artwork in the world is a lame cop-out. If he feels all the good artwork has been done, then he should let the good people who did it originally sell them and make the money.

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore 2005-07-24 14:23 ]

Yeah, why not try selling copies of these on eBay? Mice are nothing new, right? They've gotta be public domain.

Nice first post there Razor . So glad you could join us and impart some wisdom...

I think Red foreman would have said " Dumbass"

On 2005-07-24 14:11, purple jade wrote:
Yeah, why not try selling copies of these on eBay? Mice are nothing new, right? They've gotta be public domain.

Actually they should be: they should've gone into public domain in 1984 but that was extended to 2000 by the Copyright Act of 1976, then extended again to 2036 by the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (aka "The Mickey Mouse Protection Act"). The Act was given the nickname due to the Walt Disney Company's spreading hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying cash around Congress, and was given it's official name to take full advantage of the feelings over Sonny Bono's (then recent) death from skiing into a tree at night while stoned on legal painkillers. Sonny wanted to legally change the term of copyright to "Forever," but after finding that that violated the constitution he put forward the proposition that it be made "Forever, minus one day." His wife & Congressional successor, Mary, has been pushing for that ever since.

You're a lotta help there, Doc. Thanks for the support.
:P :P :P :P :P

FYI-

Surfinstro removed my piece from his site when I asked him too... I'm not selling my art, but I thought I should report.

On 2005-07-25 11:05, purple jade wrote:
You're a lotta help there, Doc. Thanks for the support.
:P :P :P :P :P

PJ, I love you & your Hubby, but this perversion of Copyright just happens to be one of my hot buttons. No matter how much I love Disneyland I cannot condone what Disney's been doing to the Constitution to cover it's corporate ass(ets).

Surfinstro's been emailing me and asking me why I booted him from TC. It's really quite sad to read his defensive arguments about it.

On 2005-07-25 21:59, hanford_lemoore wrote:
Surfinstro's been emailing me and asking me why I booted him from TC. It's really quite sad to read his defensive arguments about it.

All the more reason to keep him away from the site.

I did not know surfinstro but was familiar with his live365 station and from another surf music forum. It is unfortunate that he was unable to see the errors of his actions before this all went down. I tried to politely let him know that what was doing was bad form and that I was willing to discuss the issue with him over the phone as two human beans. He did not call, but we did send several emails back and forth. I think he was coming around but unfortunately was still clinging to a thin rationalization that it was ok for him to do what he did because he ran the live365 station for free and made no money. I am bummed he got himself banned from T.C. it always suck to lose a surf music and tiki nut especially when it could of been avoided. Hoowever, I think Hanford did the right thing for the right reasons.

Saving the drama for my mama,
Chongolio

Great info Freddie. Very disturbing how flexible the laws are when the goverment wants them to be.

Maybe he can see if the local bookstore will let him use his live365 karma points to steal a book about how to learn wood carving. I suspect they won't go for it, either.

"that it was ok for him to do what he did because he ran the live365 station for free and made no money"

I know him and I know he pays monthly to run that show and doesn't BEG or ask for donations. It's around 500 Yr

HERE ARE THE "RULES"
No discussing religion or politics. Tiki Central is not the place for this kind of discussion.

Your account must be linked to a valid email address. If a moderator of Tiki Central needs to get ahold of you, we will try your registered email address. If the email address is invalid we may temporarily disable your account until you can email us a new one.
Avoid writing entire subject lines and messages using all-capital letters. It makes your posts harder to read.
Be polite. Please refrain from insults and name-calling whenever possible. Be aware that if you do insult or name call, you'll be open to getting it back to you (tenfold, depending on who you insult!)
Spamming (posting the same message in all forums, or posting unwanted advertising in the forums) is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.

DID SURFINSTRO BREAK ANY OF THESE RULES?
NO

On 2005-07-26 11:25, Razor wrote:
"that it was ok for him to do what he did because he ran the live365 station for free and made no money"

I know him and I know he pays monthly to run that show and doesn't BEG or ask for donations. It's around 500 Yr

Rayzor-Yep, thats what I meant, he did for it for free for the public to use without paying a cent just like many of other live 365 station owners on this board. My point being it did not give Surfinstro carte blanche to use other people's ideas and graphics as they were his own. He either gets it now or he is doomed to have this type of response follow him around where ever he does unethical business.
I still think it was a mistake that could of been forgiven if Surfinstro's reaction was'nt so hot and defensive and he stopped his auctions. Live and learn.

Chongolio

-- I believe that our Heavenly Father invented the monkey because he was disappointed in man."
... Mark Twain

Come explore http://www.lost-isle.com
Kamapua'a the Hawaiian Pig God http://www.piggod.com

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore - trying to fix the quotes - 2005-07-26 14:01 ]

On 2005-07-26 11:41, Razor wrote:
... DID SURFINSTRO BREAK ANY OF THESE RULES?
NO

You're right... Maybe there should be a written rule "not to steal artwork". You know, actually spell out what everyone else here seems to understand.

Thanks for the attention to this matter, Humu and Hanford. It's nice to know that you're looking out for us artists.

Razor,

What's the deal? You have 4 posts and three of them defend Surfinstro. You also showed up right after Surfinstro was asked to leave. Anything you want to tell us?

On 2005-07-26 11:41, Razor wrote:
HERE ARE THE "RULES"

Spamming (posting the same message in all forums, or posting unwanted advertising in the forums)

DID SURFINSTRO BREAK ANY OF THESE RULES?
NO

This would be the rule.

Bottom line is that this is Hanford little corner of the internet. He was posting things didn't want so he banned him from posting. TC in not a democracy.

Surfinstro can still enjoy TC if he wants like most of the lurkers out there.

On 2005-07-26 11:25, Razor wrote:
I know him and I know he pays monthly to run that show and doesn't BEG or ask for donations. It's around 500 Yr

So he knowingly runs a money-losing operation, and he doesn't BEG ... no no, that would be dishonorable of him ... instead he STEALs to help offset the cost. Wow, what a guy.

Guess what? No one cares about your hardships. Everyone here sinks time and money into what they love most, but they don't go around ripping-off other artists in order to help pay for it.

Please go away now.

....AMEN!!!

Being a new carver, I wouldnt want to see anything I made for sale or copied.... Wish people felt that way about software and music :)