I agree. It's important to make sure you know what you're doing. I like the tips too cause getting made and being rude to someone is wrong, even if they actually stole.

~Sarah

@SunfallE:

Very good, Sabrina and very informative, but I do have one question. When I look for the image that I think it stolen, does it have to be the original artwork, or could it be from another site that had the artwork before the person stole it?

Because, someone could have taken the image from photobucket, so could you report it saying that they took it from photobucket?

This is a very useful article and should be included in the Policy or among the FAQ. It would make the mods' and users' lives easier if they could read it after joining TheO

This was a great idea to write and submit here. We really need this.
Like everyone else here, I already saw members accusing other members of plagiarism. I made sure to tell them something similar to this (maybe not so well written like yours), later on, I found out that it was the same person in both sides.

So I truly hope more people read this and think twice before hitting the report button or accusing anyone of plagiarism. If not, I'm adding this to my favourites so if it happens again I'll give them the link to this article. ^_^

@SunfallE:

About the only thing you missed was cases where someone thinks its plagiarism when it’s actually just a case of them using the same scan, screenshot or official artwork.

Thanks! I hadn't realized that I missed that.^^ And thanks for taking the time to read it and respond. ^_^

-Sabrina

@Nehszriah:

Thank you. ^_^ That's what I'm hoping, that people will read it and think about how they approach stolen works.

Yeah, I imagine it's a lot of work to keep up with the submissions. o_O Anyway, thanks for taking the time to respond. ^_^

-Sabrina

That’s quite an informative article you’ve put together Sabrina. I’m going to just add on and respond to a bit of what you’ve said here since I do handle the reports in regards to submissions.

No moderator is going to go and hunt through all 57+ million artworks to find the one you say was stolen from that site.

Quoted for truth, unless I am familiar with the artwork in question, any and all reports that say “just go to deviantART” are ignored. It’s a complete waste of my time to try and track down something that might not even be stolen in the first place.

don’t forget to include the proof URL! Without it, unless the moderator reviewing the report is familiar with the work that was plagiarized, nothing will be done and you’ll have to report it again

Again quoted for truth, if there is no proof, no action will be taken.

You’re spot on with the advice about waiting patiently to give us time to get to the reports since we do have a life besides moderating here at theOtaku. ^_~

Your final notes and tips are also excellent advice and I’d also recommend that members keep that in mind when reporting something that is stolen.

I hope this information was helpful and by all means if I missed something feel free to bring it up in the comments.

You covered it pretty well actually. About the only thing you missed was cases where someone thinks its plagiarism when it’s actually just a case of them using the same scan, screenshot or official artwork. Just because someone uses the same stock, doesn’t mean they stole it from you. Only the original creator owns that. It is a good argument for putting more work into a submission and making sure to put a signature on your work to help avoid confusion though.

Overall, an excellent overview on reporting responsibly as you pointed out in the first part of the article. Good work.

Just as it’s important to help cut down on plagiarizing by reporting stolen works, it’s equally as important to make sure you do so in a responsible manner.

I think that sums up your article perfectly. Reporting in a responsible manner instead of getting worked up and allowing your emotions to get the better of you.

I've had people accuse me of stealing because they didn't bother to learn more and realize that what I had used was the same scan or official art as it were and not a case of theft.

Good work with the article.

~Crystia

I think that covered it pretty good, especially step one. If you don't know where they took it from, how do you know it was really stolen? And since I've seen flame wars in the comments on fan arts... I hope people actually read this and think before they cry plagiarism. Or at the very least just quietly report it and let the moderators make that call.

So, good job with the article. Short and to the point and nicely informative.

-Darren

That was a lovely, concise how-to for reporting stolen work. Now, hopefully there are people who actually take this advice seriously. That's one reason why I wouldn't like being a moderator for fan art very much; all the reporting an plagarism would be too much. -_-'

That was nice and informative. I especially liked the tips at the end. I see so many people flaming someone only to later find out that the person didn't steal at all.

It's good to be sure of your facts before you accuse someone and even better to simply say nothing and leave it up to the staff. :p At least that's what I think since like you said, no one likes to be accused of stealing when they are innocent.

Anyway, nice work. ^_^

~*Aaryanna*~