Nu OriginsWe live in the golden age of young, upcoming creatives, especially in the big cities across the world that are filled to the brim with aspiring artists. Teenagers and young adults just beginning their hopeful careers turning their self-expression into a legitimate business and a source of inspiration. With so much art being created in the digital era, there is a higher risk of original art or content being stolen and exploited as someone else’s work.
Unfortunately it is very possible and sometimes very easy for upcoming artists of any kind to have their handwork stolen right from under their noses, perhaps without them even noticing. Content theft has been going on for centuries now. Some of the most famous creators have been suspected of stealing from others, examples stem from Thomas Edison all the way up to Drake. Robin Thicke and his team were sued for copyright infringement for their hit song “Blurred Lines” which pirated from the great singer Marvin Gaye’s 1977 song “Got To Give It Up.” And were forced to give up half the earning for the pop single. Miley Cyrus just settled a $300 million dollar copyright infringement for her hit song “We Can’t Stop”. In May of 2018, Michael May, also known as Reggae artists Flourgon, sued Cryus because he claimed that “We Can’t Stop” was similar to his reggae song “We Run Things.” The biggest figures in the world have been accused of copyright infringement.
Miley Cyrus Settles US $300 Million Lawsuit With Jamaican Entertainer, Flourgon
Ever had your work stolen? Interested in preventing copyright infringement of your art? Well NuOrigins has researched 3 options for you to protect your work. If you find your work to be stolen by another artist or company you have three options:
- PUBLIC OUTBURST
- SUE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
- KEEP MOMENTUM FLOWING: Move on and keep creating valuable content.
Public Outrage
PUBLIC OUTBURST: The easiest, quickest option is a public outburst, publicly put on blast the pirates who stole your content. Utilize platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube ect to call out the entity in question of stealing your work. Going public can be a gamble, because artists with large followings have fans who will look to defend their favorite artist by any means, even if they pirated your art. However, you do stand a chance if your story is compelling enough to cause a big enough frenzy and the court of public opinion sides with you.
SUE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT:
This option is a long and expensive process yet it can be the most decisive, taking legal action and suing. August of 2019 Drake was sued over allegedly stealing the production he used for his smash hits “In My Feelings” & “Nice for What”. Suing major recording artists can be a dangerous game, they are almost guaranteed to have a great legal team whether funded personally or by their record label, you need to make sure you have a strong case (or an equally qualified legal team) to combat the defense he/she will look to mount in the court of law. If your case is strong enough and you’re in it for the long haul, legal action could be a great way to get credit and compensation for the work you’ve created.
Keep Creating
KEEP MOMENTUM FLOWING:
Of course getting work stolen hurts, it can be demoralizing, it could make want to stop creating all together.The final option to be discussed is perhaps the simplest, keep creating valuable content. If you’re a creative, there may be no better time to live up to that title. You were clearly doing something right if your work was stolen by another. Remember, you have all the capabilities of making even better work that you can protect going forward and keep advancing your own brand. After an artist’s work is stolen they may feel like giving up or rolling over, but artist with a champion mindset will view it as an opportunity to move forward and create even better content for their fans to appreciate.
Now, in order to protect your art you may choose to do one or two of these solutions, or all three courses of action if speak to you. Always remember when your work is stolen or taken advantage of, you have the power. You have the power to make a decision, to go public, to go to court, to go down the highroad, to go through an alternate path you may discover on your on. Your art is always in your hands.
Sources:
https://www.snowmagazineonline.com/article/to-catch-a-thief/
By: AJ Duverglas
