Artists Battle Online Copycats: Creativity vs. Digital Duplicates!

For many artists, the internet has changed how they share and sell their work. Kerrie McNeill, who creates art prints, greeting cards, and stationery, was excited to reach new customers online. However, she soon discovered that her designs were being copied and sold without her permission. This left her feeling angry and frustrated, as she constantly worries about her art being stolen. When she found copies of her cards for sale on Temu, an online marketplace, she was shocked. Temu responded by saying they do not allow unauthorized use of intellectual property and are working to remove the copies. Kerrie’s original cards, which are colorful and finished with gold foil, sell for £3. 60 on her website, but the copied versions on Temu were almost identical and sold for only 96p. This not only takes away her art but also the income she deserves.

Experts say that small changes to copied artwork are becoming more common, especially with new technology like AI. These tools make it easier to alter designs and create copies that are difficult to spot. Kerrie explained that because her art is easy to find online, people think it is okay to take it. She feels exhausted from constantly reporting fake products, and even when she does, new copies keep appearing. She believes it is unfair that she has to spend so much time trying to remove stolen art.

Other artists face similar challenges. Terry Bradley, a well-known painter in Northern Ireland, has seen his paintings copied and sold online, and even found one hanging in a bar in Thailand. His son, Hal Bradley, said it is very frustrating for the family. To help people recognize genuine work, they now emboss, sign, and provide certificates of authenticity with every painting. Hal said reporting fake art is difficult, and those who do it are breaking the law. Technology is advancing faster than the laws meant to protect artists, making it expensive and slow to take legal action, especially when sellers are overseas or anonymous. Online marketplaces like Temu have systems for artists to report suspected copyright infringements. Recently, artists can report one link, and software will find other copies, making it easier to remove stolen designs. Temu said they are adding Kerrie’s art to their database for ongoing monitoring and use both automated and manual review systems to scan millions of images and keywords. Other artists, such as Anwen and Louise Banham, have also seen their cards and art copied. The fake cards often look faded and lack the quality of the originals. Artists hope that these new systems will help protect their work from being stolen online.