#theft from the person

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"AINSBOROUGH GOT HEAVY SENTENCE," Hamilton Spectator. September 13, 1913. Page 1. ---- Must Spent Two Years and a 'Half in Penitentiary ---- Hildreth and Wyriz Must Serve Time For Theft ---- William Hildreth, 18 months in central.

Paul Wyrtz, two months in the local jail.

Henry Ainsborough, 2 years and 6 months. [pictured]

The above were the sentences handed out by Judge Snider this morning. The fact that each man possessed a police record was against them, although in the case of Wyrtz. Crown Attorney Washington stated that he had received reliable information to the effect that this prisoner had not been an actual participant in breaking into the Kuntz Brewery company's warehouse, and his honor decided on that account to give him a light sentence.

C. W. Bell spoke on behalf of the three men, urging the court to extend leniency. In Hildreth's case his honor said there was a bad record facing this man, and it was evident he had no desire to reform. The only way was to make the people feel safe by keeping him out of harm's way.

With regard to Wyrtz, his honor said his chief offense had drunkenness, but pointed out been that that always led to something worse. The fact that he had a mother depending on him weighed much with the Judge in giving him the light sentence.

Ainsborough's offense was a very serious one in the eyes of the court, as he stole a large sum of money. There didn't seen to be any intention on the prisoner's part to reform, and he had no recourse other than to give him the heavy sentence of two years and six months in Kingston penitentiary.

The grand jury returned its presentment this morning, outlining the work that had been accomplished during the week. A visit had been paid to the asylum, where everything was in excellent condition. A visit was also paid to the county house of refuge, and everybody there appeared comfortable. It was recommended that one inmate of the city jail, Robt. Corbett, be taken to the house of refuge. A separate residence for the governor of the jail was another recommendation. The jury did not forget to incorporate in the presentment the recommendation to increase the jurors' fees to $3 per day.

Judge Snider decided to hear no more civil cases to-day, after dealing with the action of Hamilton Bread company v. Brantford and Hamilton Radial company. The case went to the jury at 11.45. In his address, S. F. Washington, K.C.. counsel for the plaintiff, asked that a verdict be returned for his client on the grounds.

The jury was still out at press time.

[Ainsborough was 29, born in Hamilton, a labourer and pickpocket who had previously been in the Central Prison and the Hamilton jail on charges of theft. His sentence this time was 'theft from the person' and was convict #F-642 at Kingston Penitentiary. He had a number of flag tattoos - of the US and Canadian Red Ensign flags - on his arms. He was never reported for an infraction, worked in a hard labour gang, and was released by earned remission October 1915.]

[deoidesign]

Doing master studies the only way I know how: Stealing them and making them my guys.

(Barberini Faun)

(The Fallen Angel - Alexandre Cabanel)

(Covent Garden - William Bruce Ellis Rankin)

[mekanikaltrifle]

'Vamily Spotlight': WoD Brand Team is Taking Art Without Permission

Recently, I was informed by a friend that some work of mine had shown up in the World of Darkness’ official ‘Vamily Spotlight’ section of their latest video. In this they talk about the gameplay reveal of Bloodlines 2 and generally drum up hype for it, which is largely what you expect from company channels when they’ve a new product out. 

There’s a problem with this: I was never informed, or asked. No consent was given to use that work, or any others.

Through some excellent efforts by friends I also found that my work was in two other videos, with the earliest being well over a year ago-- totalling three, and they were up on both Twitch and YouTube.

Now, you’ll note that I’m a professional artist with two separate art degrees and well over a decade and a half of training. I’ve also a basic understanding of copyright and fair use. 

The Vamily Spotlights are little to do with the review and news section of the video and therefore do not really have bearing on the main point of the video. To this end, I’d assume they’re there as a draw to viewers, maybe to see if their or their friends’ work has turned up in these official videos. And nominally that’s a valid tactic for engagement, if you have permission to use these pieces of work.

They do not however have permission, and certainly not from me. 

As of writing, (5th of February 2024) I’ve issued a DMCA request for all three of the videos my work shows up in on both Twitch and YouTube, and takedowns are pending but I would urge people in the WoD tag here on Tumblr to check the available videos for themselves, if they are as concerned as I am. The screenshots of art in the videos they use to spotlight seem to come from Tumblr, as well as whole TikTok videos and other social media posts. If this makes the rounds elsewhere, do check your stuff wherever you are, WoD fans. 

As the videos are also present on the Twitch VOD platform, this means they are actively charging money using our work without permission. I am unsure if their YouTube channel is monetised.

If they use your work for their spotlights, they are making advertisements and revenue off of your work without any reimbursement or prior consent. 

I don’t know if other artists were asked, but I definitely wasn’t, and by now we all know the issues with ‘exposure’ and how that does not keep artists fed or housed. 

And Paradox Interactive, having artists, they should know that you do not take for free from any of us-- at any level of influence or professionalism. The WoD community is not a free for all for companies to pick and choose free art to use like a bowl of cute little multicoloured sweets, it’s a bunch of creative, inspired and crafty people who come together across any edition of the many worlds in the setting to create as is our fair right to do so. Without being taken for granted, and without being cynically harvested for ‘content’. How vampiric. 

Additionally I would like to note that all of my World of Darkness fanworks are based on legacy books; Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition, Mage the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition and Hunter: the Reckoning First Edition most often, though there are appearances from others. You’ll note that not one of these books is the territory of Paradox Interactive or their World of Darkness brand management team-- looks to me like they’ve simply trawled the tag without reading what they’re looking at, which means they certainly didn’t take the time to ask permission to use these works. Not only were these actions tantamount to theft, it was also not even their fanart to begin with. And once again, they’d have known this had they contacted me at all, which they did not. It’s a failure on their part on several levels and not only do I want the videos taken down, I think the community is sorely owed an apology for this frivolous theft of art under the banner of ‘community content’. I didn’t opt in to having my work taken, and it should not have been assumed that it was okay to take my work just because it’s using a tag they also use!

I want everyone to know I have had zero benefit from their use of my work-- no money, no notes and no dialogue. This does not help artists. This does not help the community.

I’m willing to talk about this should anyone want to ask, but this is a gross abuse of artists and creatives’ rights for the sole purpose of gain by the World of Darkness brand team, and I expected better. I know I personally deserve an apology for this at the very least, as well as the WoD team to commit to actually contacting artists and sourcing permission in future-- and to set up an opt-in or out system for whether people want to be featured. I know I don’t, and I never asked to be. My work’s lovely, and they’re right to have said so. But it’s not for Paradox, and it’s not for Outstar or any of the other Brand team.  

It’s for me, and people here on Tumblr who like it. 

I’m disappointed, in PDX and in the WoD Brand team, because they should know far better than this. 

[themyscirah]

Complaining abt Suicide Squad yet again but the fact that they have Waller exposing the alien community to space racist attacks and talking abt how she got to her position through deceit and being a terrible person and stuff is just. Ahsfiwueh JUST SAY YOU DONT KNOW WALLER.

Anyways literally the 3rd mission of the Squad ever (and the first framed as smth Waller picked and not orders from above) was the Squad discrediting and stopping a rogue vigilante who was only arresting POC and funneling white people into white supremacy groups (of which he was the most prominent member) in SUICIDE SQUAD #4. and it's explicitly framed as this mission being personal for Waller that she's hiding from the government bc its illegal like. Guys. Please why are we having her incite (space bc comics) racist attacks now

Also the whole "Amanda got her position through deceit and being a terrible person" NO. she KEPT her position through being shitty and playing complicated political games!!! She wasn't always that way like there is a difference and it is IMPORTANT ppl PLEASEEEE. In Secret Origins #14 we learn Amanda's backstory and she used to be a normal, caring person! Like even after she entered into working in government and politics she wasn't automatically morally bankrupt like please people. She was originally given control of the Squad by Reagan (*sigh* 80s comics...) to distract and get rid of her because she was so successful at pushing progressive social policy in Congress. Acting like she's this static pillar of evil is such a waste of her character and so fucking uninteresting and disrespectful to her arc it drives me MAD.

Like I am NOT saying Waller is all sunshine and rainbows, she fucking SUCKS (said w love <3) but like there's a human being there. It's a progression, she has a character arc like please, DC, please!!! They've fucked up Waller so bad and made her so opaque and uninteresting she can't even be the protagonist of her own story for fucks sake!

Like I don't know how many times I have to scream it until DC hears me or remembers but WALLER IS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF SUICIDE SQUAD. ITS HER BOOK. yet right now she's a cutout to be used as the villain wherever the writers please. Even in her book we get none of her perspective really displayed, no exploration of her thoughts with any kind of understanding of the role she traditionally has played and was made to play in the story.

[tethered-heartstrings]

reposting content (especially art/creations) that isn't yours is theft. reposting content saying "not mine" without credit is still theft. saving content that isn't yours to your phone or computer or copy/pasting and making a post without credit is fucking theft. it isn't accidental. there were intentional steps involved. why is this difficult to comprehend. imagine how it would feel to have something you made (especially for free, often in the case of fandom) stolen and someone else taking credit for it or at the very least not giving you the credit you deserve for having made it in the first place

[modernsuperhero]

[venacoeurva]

Yes hello people going through my older kh art on this account because for some reason a shitload of them are getting notes again?? Are people leaving Twitter and coming back onto here? Anyway a reminder

[paulmccartneyexplodingonstage]

not to yuck anyone’s yum but i don’t understand how you can consider yourself a mclennon shipper and a beatles fan and then turn on taylor swift and genuinely enjoy it

[tarnussy]

not gonna lie, the fact that people keep stealing my posts and reupload them unsourced getting about 100x more interactions while my OG posts get like 3 makes me not want to create anything for this fandom ever again

none of them @ me either, sad

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Wallet Thief Given 2-Year Prison Term," Vancouver Sun. March 19, 1943. Page 3. ---- Judicial notice was taken in County Court, Thursday, of the prevalence of thefts and robberies in Vancouver, when Judge C. J. Lennox sentenced Charles "Frenchie" Dion, 38, 52 East Hastings, to two years in the penitentiary for theft.

"Crime seems to be rampant just now and must be put down," declared His Honor.

"While it is true that sentences are not given primarily as a deterrent to others, still theft from the person is a serious matter. I sentence you to two years in the penitentiary."

"Thank you, Your Honor. Will you make that less one day so I can go to Oakalla?" asked the prisoner.

"No, I will not. It is best that you get the strict discipline you will receive in the penitentiary.

"Dion was found guilty of taking a wallet containing $32 from Alfred Shankenberger in the lobby of the Greycourt Hotel, February 4. He claimed he was ill in bed with the flu at the time, but the judge pointed out that there was no corroboration of his alibi.

Shankenberger received his wallet back by mail, together with his registration card, sev eral weeks later. He, testified that Dion twice offered him $50 if he would drop the charge against him.

S. J. Remnant conducted the prosecution and W. J. Murdock defended the accused.

[emilykaldwen]

Okay I have two very different anons in my inbox right now on the OC face claim issue. I’ve read both, and I’m just gonna address you both here:

1. No one OWNS a face claim. I have RPed in spaces where everyone was using a face for something (so many people using Holliday Granger and Elle Fanning for Helaena omg save me). It’s just a thing. They’re resources. The only thing we own is the character we’re writing. We do not own actors or musicians or whomever is being used to portray our character.

HOWEVER

2. When it comes to creating your OC, you should follow some courtesy. Do you see someone all over your dash using Freya Allen for, say, a Daemyra daughter? Then you would probably want to find another actor to portray your take on a Daemyra daughter. Not only are there a million faces out there, but it also helps you, the OC creator, from any weird comparison feelings, as well further separating your concepts from others.

When I was creating Myranda Greyjoy initially, I knew that there was another OC creator out there who also had a Greyjoy x Aemond situation going on (since Myra was going to initially end up with Aemond). I went and tracked down that creator’s old gifsets to ensure that I hadn’t accidentally lifted the name as well as making sure that the face I had chosen was different enough. Since we were both exploring a similar concept, I wanted to make sure I was differentiating myself from the other person.

I’m definitely new to the OC tumblr world, mostly because this wasn’t much of a thing back in the day, and I’m only vaguely familiar with all the history there. I don’t really play around in it that much, but here’s the thing: both the above truths can coexist because people are human. If someone were to use Isolda as one of Lyonel Strong’s daughters, that’s fine! It only becomes weird if say the other person was lifting character traits and things like that. Then THAT becomes a little more 👀

But I don’t own Isolda’s face, and it’s up to ME to be normal about that! Apparently she’s a popular face for Sansa Stark now! Good for her!

The point is: be courteous and mindful of the space you operate in. There’s a ton of Strong Bastards and Stark daughters using Adelaide Kane. There was a ton of Whatshername from TLK that was being used everywhere. You’re going to have overlap, but the use of the same face is not theft.

@selfproclaimedunicorn and I were both using Rose Williams for our own OCs (her for Lara Mormont and me for Myranda). Like it’s no biggie! We were also both using Isolda (her for a Reyne girl and me for Abby).

Totally different concepts. Different ‘roles’ if you will for that face claim.

Whenever I see Isolda on my dash I’m like ‘oh that’s Abby!’ Cause that’s my girl now. She’s Abby in my head.

Anyway, I can only speak for myself. I don’t think people should be nervous about asking about a face reference, but you should always be polite about it! If you’re messaging someone about the actor, compliment their gifset or post you saw, and then ask. Don’t just know on someone’s door and go ‘hey whose the face you’re using’ cause as a creator, that would make me feel sad that you had nothing nice to say about what I made.

[redwinterroses]

Red do you have any advice on how to get my church's senior pastor to stop using AI Generated Images for Literally Everything; all his recent sermons and weekly announcement slides have started using AI and it looks Absolutely Atrocious to anyone with eyes.

Oh no. [winces] First, I'm so sorry, that's obnoxious.

Second, if you have a relationship where you can actually talk to him, I would try to hit mostly on the idea that, if we believe in a God who created us in God's image, a big part of that image (imago dei) is being sub-creators.

Therefore, a) putting that off on machines devalues the act of sub-creation, and b) image generators are, almost without exception, built on the theft of art from real, human creators. Using image generators by default makes you party to that theft, and is an exploitation of fellow humans and their work and craft.

I'll link a few articles here -- I can't vouch across the board for the publications or authors, but these specific articles are pretty good and might prove useful to you.

(you can also just tell him that it's ugly lol)

(and on another note... I would really question whether or not he's using genAI to write his sermons too. That might be a trickier question to ask, and he might take it too personally, so proceed with care and grace. But... we don't need machines preaching to us, and a pastor who generates his sermons is acting in a way that doesn't befit a shepherd.)

The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Christian Thought: A Vision for the Future, by Young Choi

AI Will Shape Your Soul, by Kate Lucky

Why Christians Need to Encourage Human Creation in the Age of AI, by Sophia Bricker

How AI Short-Circuits Art, by Jared Boggess

[kennys-parka-jacket]

Only time yall will ever see me post about AI on this blog:

I'm glad that most people aren't treating Character.ai the same as something like Stable Diffusion. Online writers are way less protective of their work than digital artists. Maybe in individual cases there are exceptions, but by and large it is not the same at all.

With that said though, it always struck me as weird that fanfiction writers legally can not make money off their work, yet it *is* legal to use fics to train chat bots and then charge a fee to use those bots. Just incredibly weird.

[sadkachow]

if i hear one more pro-ai take i fear i may start exploding people with my brain

[thevioletcaptain]

whoever stole my account information in order to spend $127 on [checks notes] roku purchases, i hope you have incurable hangnails on every finger and toe for the rest of your shitty life.

[littleaipom]

old laptop save me i know youve been powered down for 4 years but i believe in u