Is it possible to block someone from an open community on LJ?

[novindalf]

25djadja has been repeatedly stealing my icons, modifying them slightly, and then claiming as her own - all without asking or crediting me. I asked her to stop doing it, she denied she was doing it, and has since continued doing it. I commented on her latest batch where she'd stolen my icons, only for the comment to be promptly deleted, me blocked from commenting on her journal, and me blocked from PM-ing her. Frankly I'm pissed off with her stealing my work, and I'd like to block her from viewing my graphics comm so that she can't do it to me any more. Is this even possible? I don't want to have to make my comm private =/

Oh, and jsyk, here are the icons of mine she's stolen, and 'her' icons made from mine. It's not just me she's taken icons from - sky_magenta, julie_izumi, biliki, theladymorgan, ladykate63, jammeke, confessoralana, schryosel, nim4, responsiveness (on RHFC), alisea_dream, nightwatchman89 (on RHFC), simply_aly, equanimousicons, themirrorofsin & liona5 have all had their work stolen, and these are just the 72 icons we know about so far. My icons are on the left, 'hers' are on the right, and all match up perfectly in PowerPoint.



>>> (labelled rh1113an, which is how I labelled my icon, funnily enough)
>>>
>>> (very particular contrast levels on this icon, because I got the cap from a fanvid)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> (see the slightly green complexion Marian has? that's from a texture I put over my icon here)
>>>
>>>



It's that last one that REALLY annoys me, but I'm rather hacked off about all of them tbh. I don't fucking care if her icons look better, I'm pissed off and she shouldn't be doing it. [/rant for now]

Comments

[shinysparks]

She posted these icons a hoodland during the last challenge. Can anyone check them for me? They do seem to have an over-edited look to them, and I'm definitely concerned here. :(



I'll admit, I am hoping these are legit because I really cannot even fathom one posting another's work in a contest that is purely for fun, you know? *sigh*

[novindalf]

I think the 5th is one of mine, and I'm fairly sure the 3rd is one of Jammeke's, and I also recognise the 1st, 2nd, 6th & 9th =(

I'll try and track down the originals for you

[thymelady.livejournal.com]

Ooohhhh fffff...

[novindalf]

Appropriate icon is appropriate, thank you.

[shinysparks]

Thanks, I really do appreciate it and I am so sorry this has happened. Honestly, I really didn't pay them much attention when they were posted because - and call me naive - I really didn't think this would ever be an issue. Honestly, why use someone else's work for hoodland - a game that is intended to be fun? *sigh*

[novindalf]

I don't blame you for that - part of me is still like 'why would anyone want to steal my icons of all people's??', but then I see that she's now stolen over 70 icons and I don't really think she cares much about quality tbh, she's just being rude and lazy.

[thymelady.livejournal.com]

This IS a serious issue. Rude and lazy is one thing, but making a system of taking icons and not crediting and then USING in online contests is very bad. One day, she might steal the base of an artwork or photo and submit in competition held by a company. If she wins a price and is caught afterwards, all hell can break loose!

Shiny found her DevianART page: http://25djadja.deviantart.com/gallery/

How much of this has gone on over at Yuku? Have you alerted Lady Kate?

This is bad...

[novindalf]

Yeah I've been monitoring her DA too =)

Also, using and not crediting, and then INSISTING other people credit her. Hypocritical too...

But yes I see what you mean. Still, that's not my concern - I just want to stop her stealing people's icons at the moment =/

It started off on Yuku, and LK has been updated on what's been going on since the start - 4(?) of her icons are actually among the stolen as well.

[shinysparks]

Your icons are awesome. There's really no telling why she's singled out a few people: might be the only ones she follows, etc. Who knows. It's still seriously wrong, though, and as a mod... to say I'm unhappy is a huge understatement. Things like this ruin the game and it isn't fair to her team...

I actually went through and checked for any of my icons. I'm usually pretty easy-going - if someone wants to add text, I'll allow it. But claiming them as their own work is where I draw the line. Thankfully, I didn't see any...

Has anyone checked out her deviantart page as well? There's wallpapers there: http://25djadja.deviantart.com/gallery/

[novindalf]

I think it is mainly the people/people who post at the comms she follows - I've been tracking down a fair few icons this way actually.

From an objective POV, it's rather annoying because if she made her own icons from scratch they'd probably be really good =/

I have been keeping an eye on her DA account, but I don't tend to look out for larger graphics like wallpapers so I can't really match her work to anything else.

[novindalf]

Okay yeah, 4 of these are definitely taken from other people:

>>>
jammeke >>> 25djadja

>>>
jammeke >>> 25djadja

>>>
novindalf >>> 25djadja

>>>
jammeke >>> 25djadja

Still looking for 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8, because I am pretty certain I've seen those before.

[thymelady.livejournal.com]

And were they posted under any disclaimer similar to 'if you use/change, credit me'? (We are aware of that she didn't credit them, of course. Just to be sure!)

[novindalf]

My one was (at least when I posted it on LJ), not sure about Jammeke's =/

[jammeke.livejournal.com]

Hi. Just thought I'd mention I don't say "if you use/take, credit" in every art post I make, but I did mention it quite early on in my art thread on Yuku.

(I also thought it was a simple matter of courtesy... *sigh*)

[shinysparks]

So in other words, all ten of them are likely ripped then? :-/

[novindalf]

Considering her track record, I'd say probably yes. I'm still looking for the other originals though, and Ill let you know when I find them.

Also, do you think you could screenshot the page where she posted these, ideally with a timestamp?

[shinysparks]

I think I may have found one. Posted it below. And sure - will do. Do you want me to PM it to you or post it here?

[novindalf]

Whichever you prefer =)

[shinysparks]

Found one...
>>>
jammeke >>> 25djadja

[novindalf]

I did see that one but I'm not 100% sure that was the original. Usually they line up exactly with the originals but hers is shifted up a bit. That could have been masked by the texture though (maybe she's finally catching on the the fact that she's making it a bit obvious?), but even so the one on the right is quite a bit sharper/clearer too.

[shinysparks]

Yeah, the more I look at it, I'm not sure either. I can make a similar version from Jammeke's original, though (light blue overlay layer, 30% sharpen with brightness/contrast adjustments.) The one is slightly smaller than the other as well.

It still makes me wonder, though. Even if it isn't a direct copy, it's still very derivative. Yet another problem with stealing someone else's work: it calls the original work into question as well... :-/

[theladymorgan.livejournal.com]

I found 6. It's Aurora's from Round 7 of the RHFC 20in20. It's AC #5 from her set. You'll have to forgive me for not linking - I'm still trying to figure out how things like that work on LJ commenting...but I put them next to each other on the MS Word doc I'm doing my Developmental Biology homework on and they're identical save for where she tried to edit out the green filter Aurora used. You can still see part of it on Marian's sleeve, which should be blue with that editing if it came from the original cap if I'm not wrong.

I know I've seen 7 & 9 before somewhere. I don't have originals, though I have a faint sneaking suspicion I know where 9 came from.

[novindalf]

Thanks for that, I'll add it to the list. Where do you think 9 came from, because I'll do some delving and try to find it =)

[theladymorgan.livejournal.com]

I think it might be from Schryosel's RHFC art thread. I may be wrong, though. I know I've seen it or something very similar before

I also figured out 7 a few minutes ago - it's not identical, but it is extremely similar to DreamersScape's winning Cold icon from the RHFC 20in20 Round 2. The crop is slightly different and the original is a bit of a monochrome brown, but it's similar enough that it is clearly based on it, like how she based one of her Marian icons on mine but made the crop very slightly different.

[novindalf]

Just scoured Schryosel's thread and didn't find it, although several other icons were familiar which I think 25djadja has also stolen...