Is This Website Owned By Faa?

i don't think so. all of faa sites, look just like faa, odd blue blob, fine art country name, etc. though our stuff is on it. sean does experiment with other sites i guess this could be one of his.


---Mike Savad

the rest of the site is like this site, including the search a word and get something back even if there is nothing. i can only assume it's sister site for paintings that is skimmed off when people classify their stuff as paintings. though i don't see my abstract there.

---Mike Savad

and yet unless i'm reading this wrong it's registered to some guy in china


Registrant:
Name: lin wujin
Organization: linwujin
Address: 132# Room703,Nanshan Road
City: XiaMenShi
Province/state: FJ
Country: CN
Postal Code: 519000
Email: email

Administrative Contact:
Name: lin wujin
Organization: linwujin
Address: 132# Room703,Nanshan Road
City: XiaMenShi
Province/state: FJ
Country: CN
Postal Code: 519000
Phone: +86.5925634544
Fax: +86.5925634644
Email: email --

http://www.whoismind.com/whois/paintinglover.com.html


this place an affiliate site? or another place that has to be shut down?
---Mike Savad

This was posted in another group I'm in: Tracking down the owner of the website using whois.com I found out that paintinglover.com was registered in China by a person named Lin Wujin. Doing a Google search for him I fund that he seems to be related with sites that offer hand painted oil paintings and other artworks. He is on Facebook also: http://www.facebook.com/wujin.lin

I don't believe it would be associated with FAA, and I don't think they should have our work up there.

according to the way back machine, they opened in 2003, it was in french oddly, and they had some art, it had a poor format. then for about 5 years it was a squatted site, in 2011, it was a different squatted site, and now it's this.

---Mike Savad

Another site lifting your work more than likely.

I sent it up the chain to make sure, but I don't think this is FAA.

Oh my it says this in fine print on the bottom of the site: please do bear in mind that our handmade paintings are meticulously recreated by hand, brushstroke for brushstroke, so that they capture the spirit and the integrity of the original work of art.

RECREATED. One of those china art outlets it looks to be, that does copies of artists originals and sells it in mass quantity. UGH.

there is a 50 day money back on it. the prices are about 40% higher, they don't sell the acrylic, metal or cards. or the really large sizes. the feedback testimonials are funny - as if they would use a handle and show much money they spent....


---Mike Savad

on and they show a tiny close up and watermark them all. i wonder if there is a copyright where they aren't allowed to use our names at all. though they still are using a picture, but it is china and i don't know how the dmca works there. i'm working with cowcow and there is no convincing them it's my account i doubt they'll even erase the account.

---Mike Savad

So how does one deal with this? Obviously the images are taken from the FAA site...the only pieces of mine up there are the things I have here. 865 of them to be exact.

The guy also owns a site called paintinghere.com - I haven't found my work on that site. Sorry...just found out it is not a HE, but a SHE: http://pinterest.com/paintinghere/

Domains by day

Contact
Languages

paintinglover.com
Domain name registration and website information
0 0 Google +0 0 0 Digg0 Baidu0

Domain global information of paintinglover.com

Main webserver IP address : 208.73.210.155 - Did some other website use the same IP ?
Goto this website : www.paintinglover.com
We refresh this data for the last time : 2012-04-21 08:21:20

If you're this website owner and if you want to remove it from our databases, please click here.
Geographical data based on IP address
Warning geographical information are based on the IP address localisation of the main server, the reliability isn't 100%, so it might be wrong.

Country name : NIGERIA
City : Legos
Location (GPS data) : 10.5833 latitude / 12 longitude

Would a DCMA takedown notice even work in this case? Is the DCMA notice a US only thing? And who would you even send it to?

dmca is hard to use in an american site, even harder to do in china. however if you contact their isp, hmm which is also chinese... it might work. at the very least if you contact google they can pull them out of the search.


---Mike Savad

I believe these are definitely copied from FAA. I looked at a canvas print page of one of my images on their site, and compared it to a canvas print selection here. The information which shows on the bottom of their page under "about canvas prints" is almost identical to the info. on the canvas print pages here, including the exact two sample photos shown on the page of the different types of wraps and the corner details photo as well.

Ugh. All my work is there too - and mine aren't even paintings. I sent a short 'cease and desist' through the contact form. I'll also send one to the ISP.

Hopefully FAA will want to send a letter or email on behalf of the hundreds of artists they stole from here.

It's a Chinese site, but it on an US server
https://www.take2hosting.com/?p=userFa

Hi everyone.

I have passed this over to Sean

Normally he sends out a take down letter if FAA is involved, however, even if it works, which it does not every time, another 2 will pop up immediately afterwards.

Thanks Abbie. I don't guess having a watermark appear on the web images shown here would help much to deter this - at least not if they are "repainting" them as they say on the site.

Mike - they're not selling prints, they're selling handpainted "original" copies. Hence the lack of print offerings and the price disparity.

I dare them to copy some of my complex 3-D stuff (have fun with that creeps!)

i question the fact they are selling anything at all. the last few places were just grabbing credit card info.

they mention at the bottom that while they can give you a painted version, they are normally printed. from what i'm not sure.

---Mike Savad

How are you finding out your work is there? Are you typing in your name in their search bar or the name of your artwork?

And their Number One most popular rip off is my "Dreams of Awakened souls". I've had nearly 50,000 hits on this and have never sold a SINGLE print on any legitimate site.

So Abbie - if they're selling a lot of this, and FAA is getting none of those sales, that's a data point that they're actually hurting both FAA and its artists.

How are you finding out your work is there? Are you typing in your name in their search bar or the name of your artwork?

They are selling prints. At least they appear to be because they have: art prints, framed prints, and stretched prints listed on mine, as well as "art painted". And at the bottom of the page it says (on mine) "If Jai Johnson Coffee Cup is printed by machine, it needs 2 -3days; if it is hand painted by artist, it needs 14 -18days for production. Another 3 -5days for delivery." It also says this: "PaintingLover.Com is one of the 3 best companies offering handmade oil paintings and prints online. We offer and focus on the most popular frames which can be used to create museum-quality masterpieces. All framed prints are assembled, packaged, and shipped by our expert framing staff within 3 - 5 days and arrive "ready to hang" with pre-attached hooks and nails. Our own frame workshop allows us to offer you frame at bottom price. Typically 35 -65% less than retail frame shops."

But as Mike said, they may just be grabbing credit cards. I sent a take down notice to the web host. If FAA sends one and other artists do the same, maybe they will take it down. But as Abbie said...there will probably be 2 more that pop up right after. It's just aggravating.

i wonder if she has an account here as well. i'm betting yes. (the painting here lady that is)


---Mike Savad

http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/ipaintingsforsale.com?utm_source=addon&utm_content=popup-donuts

they've been around for at least a year as someone shows the score they gave the place.

---Mike Savad

search this phrase: "Accept PP/CreditCard ,One World One Price"

Please do not click on the resulting links - doing so only increases the profile of these scam sites on google (not to mention the risk of whatever viruses, malware, etc you may pick up).

After a post here similar to Jai's just over a year ago (to a site illegally displaying the work of dozens of FAA artists), we were able isolate this unique non-grammatical phrase and discovered that it produces hundreds of thousands of hits to unique but similar pages on untold numbers of sites.

As long as some countries allow, even encourage, illegal use of copyrighted material, this problem is going to continue to grow exponentially. I don't think there's anything that can be done. I remember at the time some people I believe were writing to Paypal, Amazon and anywhere else they could think of - I don't think it makes one bit of difference.

The whole situation is very discouraging. Also the recent UK legislation that seriously restricts an individual's ability to control their copyrights on material posted online. The rise of Pinterest. Selling art on the internet is becoming a Catch 22. Post an image anywhere and you're basically 100% assured that you have given it away. Probably, within not too long a time, enhancing technology will allow creation of quality high res images from lower res - and a billion Bobs are everyone's uncle.

Do you think there's a way to also report them to Google?

there should be a dmca notice on google as well. they are pretty swift at removing stuff like that. just be sure to tell them all the sites you find your work on and a bit of proof that it's yours. i'm not sure if you need to provide every single link though - because it will only remove the ones related to you. but then again since the images are on the main page, i guess reporting that would be best.


---Mike Savad

Ok, has anybody heard of "picsto pin"? I just found one of mine there as a wallpaper download. There is a "delete" button at the bottom of the image and you get a box to fill in to tell them why they should remove the image but I have to provide an email address. I get worried about "infections" from some of these sites....

picstopin is a known scraper site hosted on a site in Germany by http://voxility.com/contact/abuses

Picstopin is so bad that Pinterest has not only blocked links out from items pined from them but is also blocking any pining from them

You can try a takedown witth fhe host, but they don't have a good rep.

Here you are https://support.google.com/bin/static.py?hl=en&ts=1114905&page=ts.cs

Maybe someone can also report their FB site to the Facebook.

Also, how do we protect the images that are on FAA but not out there? Has anyone given this a thought? I am afraid to put my new work on it.

This must be a pretty big operation if they are able to steal and reproduce so much art!

This was just brought to my attention as well. All my images from Fine Art America are on there. Funny, because I don't sell prints of my work here or anywhere and actually have that stated as a policy on my website.

Here is an example on Robert Genn's Painter's Keys site of how a similar situation was resolved back in 2005 with a different Chinese website and group of artists: http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/arch-world/chinese-list.asp.

The gist of it all (there's a lot of info) is that a bunch of artists getting together to apply pressure works. Embassies were involved, but it was slow going. Genn's site also gives examples of the sorts of letters to write and what one can expect by way of response. It seems most artists had to make multiple requests.

So there are a few people who have gotten responses and cooperation from the site? That's good to know.

I would wager this is a fairly small operation without many or any sales so far. The testimonials look fake, as if it is written by the same person or group of people (they are all very similar, grammatically). It's irritating but -- argh, no I'm NOT flattered!

Well, I've just been presented with three Kaspersky warnings, having gone to that site in the opening post............!!

just a reminder to people if they really want to go to these sites, better to not click on the links pasted here - instead copy the URL and paste it into a new window. Getting all these visits from a big site like FAA probably elevates these sites on google. Also, best not to paste live links on this message board at all - just paste the URL (if necessary) but not a live link, again for the same reason. We don't want to inadvertently help thieves and scammers.

*this all assuming that I know something about what I'm talking about - which I give no guarantees :) But I'll go with this unless someone explains otherwise

OK, I got a response to my firmly worded letter:

"Dear Laura Zerebeski,

We just set up this site, there is no sale yet!
Can we pay you on each item we will sell.

For other assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us with the below information:

Kind regards,
Wujin Lin
Tel:+86 592 604 6669
sale@PaintingLover.com
http://www.PaintingLover.com"

My response was a simple, "No. Please remove all my images from your site."

....AND, a few hours later, it appears that the images are gone, though the listings remain.

And, if anyone is interested, here is my firmly worded email, as sent to sale@paintinglover.com:

"Attention PaintingLover.com,

I am instructing your company to stop using images of my art immediately. My images are protected by copyright law, and may not be displayed now or in the future on your or any website which I have not approved. My policy on prints and replicas is clearly published on my site at http://laurazerebeski.com/giclees.htm

Please remit $1,200.00 for each print or replica that has been sold by your firm. I expect to hear from you soon with a cheque following and an assurance that my paintings have been removed permanently from your website. I would like you to confirm that I have been removed by your company or any future companies that you are intending to set up.

As you know, my work is protected by international copyright laws. You state on your website that you are aware of such laws.

I thank you for your prompt attention in this matter."

Welcome to the Internet. If you don't want something stolen, never post it on the internet.

When I questioned FAA about Copyright issues before I started uploading,
they gave me the same comments every other site on the net gives.
As soon as a web page loads on a users computer, the images are stored.
There are no protections against it.
I tossed a coin. I joined.

I once had one of my web sites stolen in total by a Russian. Over 480 pages of content.
It actually looked pretty cool in Russian so I stole a copy back.
Then I sent the following letter.

Dear Hacker Scum,
You have 24 hours to delete this site or I will be contacting my friends at Interpol and the CIA.
Within 48 hours, you will be dead.

The site was taken down within the hour.

Yes, life on the Internet sucks.

Damn I just saw my art there like all of it...I"m on the popular page..how nice..WTF> I just left a few nasty messages :D

I just wanted to get paid..hahaha

"Dear Hacker Scum,
You have 24 hours to delete this site or I will be contacting my friends at Interpol and the CIA.
Within 48 hours, you will be dead.

The site was taken down within the hour."

Doug this is great...if this ever happens to me, I am totally going to use this.

I found other artists' from here and at least one I let know they're being ripped off.

I just spent some time watermarking all my pictures on here.

I also sent an email to the owner of this site expressing my opinion that he should eliminate any comments against watermarking from the site
and that he should be much more proactive in his responses to hacking. Even if he has to coordinate a response from this entire community
toward a particular site. That could be done easily via an announcement.

I also suggested he code a way for each artist to add THEIR watermark instead of Fine Art America.
It is OUR ART !

The site seems to be still up but I did get my images removed..I had to send a nasty email and nasty comments on my pictures, that worked! :)

I did notice that site had a nice size resolution when you clicked on it. How does one obtain that?

i couldn't see a larger image other than what i clicked on. but if it's large it will only be 900px. they only really seem to be interested in paintings. i haven't seen photos taken. however there was a guy selling our stuff on his site also, complete with FAA marks.

but a watermark won't prevent anything, what would help is the image being cut up into smaller pieces so they would have to assemble them like a puzzle, then at least it would make it more of a pain. but then google images couldn't find it as easily and they wouldn't pin right either. and both places might be potential sales places.

---Mike Savad

a few more of her sites:

http://framingpainting.com/
http://paintinghere.com/
http://www.diyyh.com/ (it's in chinese though)
http://www.ipaintingsforsale.com/
http://bestpaintingsforsale.com/


what i found so far, places registered under her name. "lin wujin" the owner of painting lover though oddly that one didn't come up in google. so there are probably a ton more.


---Mike Savad

I checked them out; didn't find mine, but plenty of others that are here on FAA - some popular sellers. Don't know if I should mention their names.
Tho I think they should know.

One thing that could help is if FAA made a right click disabled, as some sites do.

Right click IS disabled. However, many browsers now come with a script which just totally overrides our order to not right click

Thanks, Mike for the other links, glad I'm not on them. I google my name at least a few times a month to see who's using or stealing my images. I keep track of them all of the ones I do find. Most of the time people do credit my name and link back here but sometimes we come across these scam sites. Its always good to post your name in your tags when posting artwork. If I come across any more scam sites I will share it here :)