Another Zazzler using my graphics

[asheridan4]

Hi - I just discovered a graphic that I drew myself is being used by another Zazzler on multiple products, and it's pretty much the main asset of their designs. It's just a simple vector drawing of a graduation mortarboard, but there is something distinguishable about it which makes me 100% sure it's mine. The seller is Gold status, so it's likely the seller is profiting off it. I realize it's possible they got it from a third party, thinking it was OK to use. It's also possible this seller just copied from my design and pasted it into theirs.  How would you handle this?

[asheridan4]

OK, so a quick google search brings up my graphic in a few sketchy looking clip art libraries. Ugh. Do I just take it as a compliment and move on?? 🙄 Does locking your design elements prevent this from happening? I like to give the customer the option to delete or move around elements, but this is frustrating to see my work stolen. 

[Cat]

I would contact the designer and explain the situation - I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they got it from a third party thinking it was free to use. If they give you the cold shoulder, you can always report the design. I'd also contact the sites distributing it and ask them to remove it.

I have used some "public domain" clipart - especially on designs that I made when I was first starting out - but it's becoming more and more clear to me that even on large supposedly reputable sites, you can't trust the license, even when something is labeled as free for commercial use. This furthers my conviction to stop using that sort of thing, even for incidental elements of a design.

[Fiorenzo]

I fully agree with Cat. Talk with the designer. It's absolutely possible that he/she uses it in good faith. Find a solution that is fair to both, e.g. a license fee that corresponds to an extended license on a reputable stock image site. Can happen to all of us who use public domain or even official stock footage, and can happen to all of us who create digital imagery that spreads over the net and finds its way to a PD or stock photo site. If the designer has bought the image, you could even report the author on that stock image site and make sure it is not sold anymore.

[Malissa]

Just to put your mind at ease about someone copying elements from within the design tool, it isn't possible to copy a design element from one designers product to another and sell it.  The paste option would not be available if they tried.   They could transfer it to another card or product, but the sell button would not appear.  They would have had to get it from another source or possibly grabbed a screenshot (which would be intentionally stealing).  I hope it was unintentionally from another source and not from a screenshot here.  I hope you can get it resolved.

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[VivianD117]

I guess you could start out by asking them directly and explain.  perhaps they did purchase it thinking it was OK. If not, then you could start with asking them to remove the products.  If all that doesn't work, they can be reported on the page where you see the offending product.