Accused of stealing 2400 images from Album Art Exchange

edjgraphix
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Accused of stealing 2400 images from Album Art Exchange

Post by edjgraphix »

I hope it’s okay that I gather all of the correspondence over a claim that I have taken something from someone who doesn’t seem to acknowledge any of the evidence that I presented them, and I’d like to document it all in one place where I can easily find it. I have nothing to hide here, and if the other party objects to this then they should have apologized to me for their mistake so I wouldn’t feel the need to expose these ridiculous claims. Unfortunately, I see nothing in this dialog that dismisses these allegations, so I would appreciate if I can get someone else’s perspective on this issue. My whole reason for doing this is to get some kind of closure over this since the person I was dealing with doesn’t seem rational to me with their claim that I stole 2400 images from them at Album Art Exchange.


Here are the messages that took place when the person contacted me on Ebay:


AAX DUDE:
Hey, wanted to give you a big hearty F**K Y*U for ignoring my site's policies, Eric. If that wasn't bad enough, you then uploaded sh*t-tons to Fanart in order to brown-nose your way into there. You are a greedy, self-serving a$$hat. I've alerted Warner, Universal, EMI and BMG as to your activities here as well as given them your real name and last known address.




ME:
If I knew what you were talking about I might try to take care of the problem. What site are you talking about and what is the issue? Have we discussed this issue before?




AAX DUDE:
Unless you're willing to part with some cash for my hard work which you capitalized upon to make a buck here on eBay, there isn't anything you're going to be able to do to make it right. I'm talking about the site that you raided for your artwork and then turned around and uploaded almost 2400 covers to Fanart.tv from. The site that you specifically entered into a binding legal agreement to NOT upload their images anywhere else and NOT to use them for any commercial purpose. Not only did you screw that site over by uploading them to Fanart, you jeopardized their very existence by using their content commercially and all to benefit your wallet; in complete disregard of your word and common morality. You even took MY personal scans and uploaded there and made magnets out of :-(




ME:
If you really feel that I owe you something for this I'd appreciate if you'd start by showing me that you can be reasonable. I’m not out to piss anyone off and I totally respect you for the fact that you are into album cover artwork too. I don’t mind talking this through and figuring out a way for me to make this up to you but you need to understand that I have my version of this story you’re laying out and it would be cool if you would lighten up on me a bit. Your anger and frustration was obviously building for a while, but it’s a bit unfair for you to treat me as though I’m this person you are making me out to be when this is the first time I’m hearing that there is an issue. I don’t use Fanart any more but I can still add and delete images I uploaded. Is there a list of images you’d like to see removed? I have no problem trying to make this up to you, just stop telling me your version of what I’m about. Remember that this is our first interaction. I still don’t know your name or what site you’re talking about. If you want to deal with this on a realistic level, fill me in on who you are and what you’re about. If you want to continue to dump on me then I have better things to do. I’ll be around when you’re ready to talk about it.



AAX DUDE:
We were the fist site offering high quality and shortly after, High-Resolution artwork. We started at a time when such site were being sued by the record labels and entertainment firms (Mostly Disney and Sony). We carefully worked with them to assuage their fears that our content would be used for commercial purposes and/or counterfeiting. The site's policies were developed with their input with these concerns in mind. You aren't stupid and you know full well that what you're doing with these eBay sales is completely illegal. I am as anti-pirating and respectful to artists as one can be and to see someone making a buck off of my personal hard work (and the work on the site that has occupied my life for 10 years) and the risk I took of getting my ass sued off angers me to no end. I don't believe that there is any way that you could not have known that this was against our policy.

As far as what can be done now, I don't think that you as a submitter have access to delete anything from that other site. As far as a "list" goes, if you truly created any artwork there, you know exactly what is yours and what is not. Some of this artwork, I created 7 or 8 years ago and I still recognize every single one. You should be able to differentiate the few that did not come from our site with ease.

Thank you and I again apologize. The Mods on that site were a source of stress for YEARS. I had to block the entirety of the UK to stop automated raids that were taking place from England and shutting down our servers. It was like cutting off my legs. about a half-dozen users in the U.S.n including you, had me running in circles and pouring over security logs every day to try to week those little roaches out and as soon as I'd stomp one out, 2 more would appear. It didn't help relations with legitimate users. TEzzz9" was still raiding my site as recently as last January. 've now worked out an accord with that site's owner and he has banned the xfer from my site to his.



ME:
Hey, I'm back. I just checked to see what happens if I delete my account over there at Fanart and it turns out that the images stay put. If you don't mind, I'd like to know who I'm talking with, or, at the very least you can let me know what site you are talking about. I'd like to check out a few of these images so I'll have some reference to be able to talk to the owner of Fanart and ask if they could remove the particular images that I uploaded there. So just let me know and I can start this conversation with the dude. He seems pretty cool and understanding, I'll just explain to him that since I was the one who uploaded the artwork that I'd appreciate if they would replace it with something else. I can even have something else ready to upload so they won't go any time without being a big deal to anybody else.

You may think that I'm full of shit and I won't be able to do anything about it but I can get shit done if I apply myself. One place I know I can get something done and that's here. I can easily remove and replace any of the images on the magnets here.

Let me know what you think.




AAX DUDE:
PS most sites including mine. Keep the images because we can’t scramble to replace them every time someone delete an account or stops visiting.

Speaking of, it’s interesting that you had artwork available but never uploaded a single image to our site. I believe that you visited our site before any others because of that and because you’re ready had the edjgraphix moniker, Must have been already making magnets and stuff at that point. I remember that you were a very heavy downloader.



ME:
Why does your site have my images posted on there?

LINK
Check out the upper left corner "EDJ2013"


AAX DUDE:
There are a few factors at play here. NORMALLY, we do no condone raiding other Album Art sites. I made and exception for that site and in particular, former users from this site that took content to populate that one. Now that Chris and I have made peace, I no longer condone it. Don't forget, that site has over 12k covers of ours! I have personally taken some of your uploads. In fact, I had a program in Jan/Feb to go and raid that site but almost everything that I looked at, I could find bigger or better via Google.

Second: ALL of their content is available via Google and there is no expectation of ownership and no site policy about their usage. None of which apply to AAX. They NOW have a policy about transferring content from here to there and I have reciprocated in kind.

Third, this user "Domenow" **IS** Ezz9 who has all of the content on her hard drive.


ME:
Can you explain why you would need to raid artwork that was raided from you? Don't you already have it since it was taken from you?

I was only comparing the artwork for a few minutes and I found SO MANY album covers that were created from my hard work. I have only seen stuff you've taken that I did - and there's a lot. It seems as though you assume that you were the only person trying to re-create hi-res artwork. Don't you notice that after the letters EDJ on my moniker is the word GRAPHIX? If you expect me to take your word that I've taken 1900 images of yours, I'm going to have to see you match as many album covers as I have proven to you (505). Any album cover that is the same artwork where your site has an earlier date than the one uploaded on Fanart will be proof, and so far I have proven the exact opposite of what you're claiming. I have no problem with you using artwork I've created. That's why I uploaded onto the Fanart site, so others could use it for whatever they'd like - I assumed it would be for their music libraries. You have proven nothing so far and you're still standing by your pre-judgement of me while I have shown you a huge chunk of evidence that goes against what you have claimed. I have been cool to you, and have offered to help you out with this and you are continuing to stay all over me about this. I felt bad at first because I'm sure I did take some of your artwork, but now I don't feel bad any more, it seems as though you are benefitting from my artwork. That's great! What's the problem? I have so much more artwork too - would you like me to upload that? I stopped trying at Fanart because that one moderator kept denying my artwork for the dumbest reasons. Quit treating me like I'm an asshat (LMAO!) when we have this album cover artwork in common. I don't consider you an adversary, I consider you someone I have something in common with. Either lighten up or match the evidence that I showed you.




AFTER THESE MESSAGES I DECIDED TO CONFRONT THE DUDE ON THE AAX FORUM, SO HERE ARE THOSE MESSAGES:


https://albumartexchange.com/forums/vie ... f=1&t=4330
Last edited by edjgraphix on Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
edjgraphix
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by edjgraphix »

Here's the link to my Fanart images:
https://fanart.tv/members/edjgraphix/mu ... lbumcover/
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Re: Accused of stealing 2400 images from Album Art Exchange

Post by Artwork Lover »

So what is your point? I thought this was settled and now it appears that after nearly TWO MONTHS of silence, something has crawled up your bumm and motivated your to post this on the web site that you "were never going back to" instead of continuing the discussion with us. Why you decided to start poking the sleeping bear from somewhere out of the blue is unfathomable to me.

You were told that it was no longer possible to look at a list of your images here and point to specific images - it STILL isn't. You're trying to take advantage of that fact to make yourself appear innocent for some reason.
I can ASSURE you that it was done in the past and there are *lots* of them here. It was the entire reason you were banned from AAX and now, years later, you're trying to play the innocent victim or something?

Now, in an attempt to garner sympathy from this group of bystanders, you continue to focus on the images from AAX posted here issue and (continue to) ignore the fact that you are *ILLEGALLY* selling refrigerator magnets on eBay created from sh*t-tons of AAX images (and I'd imagine, images stolen from this site) for you to profit on the work of others, as well. This is of course not to mention that the Band logos on those magnets probably also originated here; all in blatant violation of the law and common decency. Yeah, I wrote to you and said what was said and still stand by every word although this posting here shows you to be even more petty and self-righteous than I'd previously believed.
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
Oh, I didn't know it could be done like this. I've been using the user's profile and this is much easier.

Straight off the bat (2nd image I checked), I see that the image you posted of Kiss's Rock and Roll over is from our site:
https://albumartexchange.com/covers/243 ... =&size=any

I could go on and on dude but to prove what? What I've already researched and know for a fact, only to have you continue to dodge the use of our images on your eBay merch? Again, still confused as to why you'd decide to air your dirty laundry here after nearly 2 months with no contact. Are you trying to escalate things because if so, we can and will certainly use our contacts and draw attention to your illegal stuff on eBay.
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
"Your" Elton John's "Honky Château" is from AAX

https://albumartexchange.com/coverart/g ... 2_5pa9.jpg
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
Brown Dirt Cowboy is also from AAX. I'd bet anything that *ALL* of your Elton John images are from there. Now 3 of 4 images checked out as ours. You really want to play this game, Erik?
https://albumartexchange.com/covers/122 ... =&size=any
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
ELO's Out of the Blue was taken from AAX (4/5 now, if you're keeping track)
https://albumartexchange.com/coverart/g ... i_4q9o.jpg
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
Bad Company, Straight Shooter is from AAX: https://albumartexchange.com/covers/275 ... =&size=any

Glancing down your list, I'd bet anything that ALL of that Genesis is from AAX as is the Queen, The Cure, Kansas, Stones. Like I'd said, I checked before and this is the very reason AAX kicked you to the curb.

Again, are you sure you want to come over here and play the innocent man, falsely accused?
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
Add Traffic's "Low Spark..." to the stolen goods list:

https://albumartexchange.com/covers/124 ... =&size=any

That is MY f**king scan. It took me hours and is a perfect example of the reason I called you the names I did. I recognize *MY* "On the Road" on this list, as well.

Oh, I made sure that you were good and banned for this latest stunt here so unfortunately, your posts there are deleted along with your newly re-banned account. I submit that you listed several (504?) items and deliberately avoided listing ANY of the ones that you ACTUALLY STOLE.

LMAO. boy this sure isn't turning out like you'd expected, is it!!! :lol:
Last edited by Artwork Lover on Fri Dec 01, 2017 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dude from Album Art Exchange caught me stealing 2400 ima

Post by Artwork Lover »

edjgraphix wrote:Here's the link to my Fanart images:
Cream's "Wheels of Fire" - MINE!
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