FOREST artist Emily Goodsell reckons she’s been ripped off by a French music site which she claims used her work without permission.
The Aylburton-based artist, who sells her work through Facebook and online retailer Etsy under the name Astralmimi, couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her work The Hallucination on mat used on a record turntable.
To add insult to injury, the company – France-based MackiTek – offered to send her a free set of the mats to settle the matter.
When the Review approached them with the allegation they gave little more than a Gallic shrug, claming the matter was now closed – something which is news to Emily.
Emily told the Review: “The design was being used on a slipmat for a record turntable. The company had removed my signature and done their best to remove the watermark, but that was still clearly visible.
“At first I received an apology but as soon as I mentioned being compensated for the blatant theft and resale of my art they turned nasty. Insultingly, they said they would send me a free set as payment.
“If I didn’t accept that offer, she made a rude suggestion about what I could do. They admitted they found my design on my Facebook page so they could easily have contacted me to ask permission. Just to steal it is unacceptable as this is my livelihood.”
The Review contacted MackiTek, the company concerned.
MackiTek Spokesperson Candice Key-Jah Dumont said: “All is cool and we are sorry for this. The story is closed.”
Emily feels that this matter is far from over however: “This shows just how easy companies feel it is to take and profit from small guys like me. They feel that if they are ever caught, they have nothing to fear as we wouldn’t have the resources to fight them. They can tell us to get lost and look for the next artist’s work to rip off. It isn’t fair and it’s happening more and more often.”
A spokesperson for the Intellectual Property Office said: “If you think that someone has infringed your copyright by using your work without permission, asking them to cease and desist and seeking compensation is one route. You can potentially use the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, which handles cases quickly and has caps on fees and damages, it also has a small claims track that might be appropriate in this case.
“Civil action always involves cost and carries risk, so if you decide to pursue this case you should first consider alternative forms of dispute resolution. Copyright is a complex area of law, so it’s worth getting expert legal advice before you begin any action.”
Find more of Emily’s work on www.facebook.
com/astralmimi