Artwork theft

[Marble]

So occasionally I find images that I know for a fact the uploader did not create. I report them, of course, and some days later I do find they have been removed but I have some questions about how this is moderated that someone might know the answer to.

When you upload artwork, it makes you tick a box to confirm you are the content owner, so anyone who uploads others' artwork is doing so knowing full well they are breaking this agreement.

What is the punishment for uploading stolen artwork? Is the other artwork they have uploaded removed if they have been uploading many stolen artworks? Or is it only the ones that are reported that are removed? Do they get banned from uploading artwork if they have been found to be stealing it?

[eram]

Depends on proof of ownership but normally if it's not breaking any rules the artwork is left up. A 3rd party reporting some upload of someones elses work we don't normally get involved in. Owners that actually own the work we do listen to.

[Marble]

Originally posted by eram:

Depends on proof of ownership but normally if it's not breaking any rules the artwork is left up. A 3rd party reporting some upload someones elses work we don't normally get involved in. Owners that actually own the work we do listen to.

I usually only report them if I have the artists original portfolio to link to (deviantart etc.), this seems to have worked because I get an Email telling me that the offending content has been removed, but by then I have long forgotten which account it's referring to so I can't check exactly what was done.