What do you think of this??? I’ve been ripped off again! This time i found MY ART on a flag for sale in WALMART!!!!!
Without knowledge, this is my copyrighted artwork that has been reproduced on a flag made in China and sold in Walmart stores. But they had the nerve to lift my writing out of the image and added TYPE!!!! Wow!!!! (it’s MY grandparent flag concept that i penned in 2008 and license to another manufacturer, NOT Walmart!!!) Looks like a few phone calls for some legal assistance are in order for Monday. It’s so wrong!
MY ORIGINAL ART DONE IN 2008- Licensed artwork to a US flag company.
I BOUGHT THIS IN WALMART TODAY. My artwork, on this flag MADE IN CHINA where they removed my signature lettering and added TYPE!!!! This was sold and distributed in Walmart without my knowledge.
Joanne Sharpe Arts 
Joanne, I read your blog frequently. I am a huge fan of your work. How did Walmart receive the image? That is my biggest question. I wonder if someone sold it to them? Have you ever published this image on the internet? I agree with the others though. This was just wrong no matter how they got it. Good luck!
I am here to bookmark your page (LOVED the class). I could imagine people making like pictures, but this is an exact replica- even the shading in the windows. Oh I certainly would get a GOOD lawyer…..!!! So sorry you have to deal with this!
That's AWFUL! It's so common amongst high street stores, smaller designer's designs are constantly being ripped off!
I’ve never walked through the doors of a Walmart store and here’s another good reason to keep it that way. As they say, companies like this really know how to ‘take it down a notch’. Disgusting and just plain wrong. From what the others have said, it sounds like you’ll have to look the other way and move on. Just like I do whenever passing by Walmart.
When this happens to someone like you who is published, it makes me wonder about anything that's posted by all the people on the Internet! I hope that you get credit for your work & compensated! You do beautiful art! I'm taking the Strathmore online class that you & Jane LaFazio are teaching & have been waiting oh so impatiently for your workshop 3 to finally be here!! Can't wait 🙂
There was a huge discussion about this over on the LinkedIn boards for the Art licensing community. The stores have no idea about art licensing and so when a manufacture offers something for sale to them it is in a catalog and they have no control over if it was stolen or not. The biggest way that you can prevent this is to use a watermark on all photos of your art that you post online. If you look on the back of the packaging you will find the manufacture's contact info. Walmart and lots of other big box stores have things private labeled but it is the manufacture that actually is the one that is the infringer. Sorry for such a long response but I thought it might help you to know exactly who to contact.
Also you might want to do an UPC code search online to see where else it is sold. BTW it is also being sold on AMAZON, flagsonline.com, united-states-flags.com, flagsonastick.com, gardenhouseflags.com, http://www.gabrielsgiftsandmore.com/grsphegafl.html, and a few other places so even some of the smaller retailers have the same company providing them for them as well.
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sorry for so many comments but I thought you might also like to know that this website has it on mailbox covers as well as welcome mats. http://www.windsensations.com/Grandkids_Spoiled_Here_Mailbox_Cover_p/9804mm.htm
Thanks for your help Kate Cannon. The image IS licensed to another manufacturer legitimately. Apparently China felt it was okay to lift this public image for their own. i have a lawyer working on this.
Wow! So wrong! I wish you the best going after the culprits!!! Angela Rae Barribeau
I always want to believe the world has beautiful people in it like you and so many I love in this life close friends or just a artist that inspires my day to be brighter and better..then I read this and I am reminded of the darkness in people..so sorry for you.hugssusan s
This is terrible and I hope you can get justice! Please let us know what happens.