Pirated in Turkey!

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
~Confucious

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine living in Turkey sent me the following picture:

Paula had been shopping with her parents in Sultanahmet and found my paintings printed on a tin of olive oil soap. Thinking I'd be flattered, She snapped this photo and sent it to me. I admit, The first time I saw it, I laughed, it was so surreal. But then the realization that my work had been stolen and someone else was profiting off my images sunk in. I was in a horribly bad mood for a few days and felt really miserable about it. It wasn't a nice feeling.

I work hard at what I do. I also don't make a heck of a lot of money at it, but I do it because I like to do it and it is slowly building and growing and becoming something important and special to me. So to see someone blatantly rip off my image, stick it on an olive soap tin and profit from my hard work, well, it sucks.

Some people say I ought to be flattered that someone thought my work was good enough to be pirated. I do understand that line of thought is the positive way of looking at this, and I am all for positive thinking. But at the same time, If I have a really nice camera, I wouldn't be flattered if someone coveted it enough to steal it. It's still my camera, and it's mine, and you don't have the right to take it. Period. Why should it be any different with artwork?

So then I did something I am still not entirely too comfortable with doing. I watermarked the hell out of my images on this blog and on my Facebook page. I realise this isn't going to stop people from erasing the watermarks with an image tool in Photo shop, but at least the pirates will have to work hard at stealing my images from now on. But the truth is, I don't think it looks good and I'm not entirely comfortable with this as a solution.

I have gotten some really great advice from a lot of knowledgable people and I think the best solution to this problem is to eventually move my blog to a site that doesn't support the right click save option. I'm not sure when I'll have the time to do that with school coming up, but I will be looking into it in the near future. Until then, the crappy watermarks have to stay.

My sister Rene was recently on vacation in Istanbul and I asked her to suss out the damage for me. She sent me the following pictures. Apparently my stuff is for sale all over Istanbul, The Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, the shops in Sultanahmet and even Galata Tower area. "The Bosporus Ferry" is a big seller on the tin, and "Life in Sultanahmet" is a big seller on the tile.

Here are the photos Rene sent me:

A typical nice bath shop in the Grand Bazaar. In fact, I have bought presents for people in this exact shop. My pirated olive soap tins are on the three tiered table on the right.

My Latest Hagia Sophia Painting, except someone has removed the birds, cut and pasted a billion little stars and filled in the bushes (badly, in my opinion) on the bottom. (Note to Pirates: Bigger stars, less stars enlarge the moon next time! The bushes are pretty crappy too! Next time, ask me, give me credit, we'll work something out!)

Is it just me, or does my little ferry stand out on the centre of that board?

At least I look good up there with the great masters! That's Ingres below my little ferry; One of the paintings I studied in art history.

Now I know how Louis Vuitton feels!

This one apparently is a big seller. A Painting I actually painted for myself. That's my neighbour and my landlord in our neighbourhood. the shop keeper asked my sister what she was doing taking pictures of his product. She explained that this was my painting. He said, "The man who is doing this is my friend. I thinks there is nothing you can do. My friend is alone man. Your sister help him a lot."

A very blue "Life in Sultanahmet." Cropped badly as well.

But you can own the whole thing on a tile for 38 Turkish Lira. My only self portrait, that's my sister and I under the umbrellas.

This was a little study I did for the bigger Hagia Sophia paintings I did later on. Funny to think it was painted a few blocks away from where it's on sale now.

But here is the blatant nasty bit: This guy is signing them and passing them off on his own! But there is an email address, and he will be hearing from me very, very soon. At the very least, I'd like him to put my name and blog address on there. It's only fair that I get recognized for my own work.

Until then, the ugly watermarks will have to stay (sad face). Even if it means my blog will be shared less around the web.

So here's what I have learned and hope for the future:

1. I can come to some kind of amicable agreement with these guys and at the very least get the recognition I deserve.

2. I will consider getting a website that does not support the right click save option, because I don't like the look of the watermarking.

3. I've shied away from allowing my paintings to be on products because I was told it could cheapen the images. I actually think these products look pretty good. (Aside from some crappy editing- I can do a better job!) If I move to Turkey next year I will create my own line of product and hopefully put these other guys out of business! (Watch out, Turkish pirates, it's only a matter of time before I'm back in Istanbul looking for you!)

4.Perhaps in some round about funny way this is the universe's way of telling me, I’m good at what I do, and if I didn’t feel the confidence to make product like this before, that confidence has just been handed to me on a big Turkish Tea Platter.

I'll keep you posted on what happens!

Special thanks!

To Paula for alerting me that my work is being pirated in Istanbul.

To Jonathan Lewis and David Kelly for their valuable advice, and

to René for trekking around Istanbul and snapping photos on my behalf.

Link to article, Watermarks: Protecting your images or damaging your business?

xxMelanie