Stolen Artwork

[vintagedge]

I am not sure it this is the right place to post this question...

We have just found out that a major youth retailer has taken artwork from our website, modified it and is selling it as their own on t-shirts.

Our site has a copyright. The copyright is specifically for the artwork on the site as this is what is of value to us. We are a small company and couldn't begin to fight a large corporation. Does anyone have any suggestions.

This is the artwork that has been displayed on our website since early 2003: http://www.vintagedge.com/xcostaricawhite.lasso

This is the artwork shown on the website of the manufacturer:
http://ipath.com/Merchant2/merchant...._Code=maui_tee

This artwork is shown on one of the manufacturers vendor sites:
http://shop.ccs.com/catalog/browse/p...TORE&PARENT=37

You can even see where the word Costa Rica has been erased in the photoshop file. We have the original Illustrator files that this was created with.

Anyway, does anyone have any advice, a way to avoid this in the future - or at least some sympathy for the little guys vs. the big guys?

vintagedge
www.vintagedge.com

[ldylion214]

I am sorry to hear this. I can empathize. Our site features jewelry designs and someone is always downloading a picture. The factories in Taiwan and such have a knack for copying designs. Here is a link about some copyright info that may or may not help, but at least it is education, http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html.
I hope you get some sort of positive outcome. Good luck! Nicci