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Thread: A dilemma

  1. #1
    Guild Artisan LonewandererD's Avatar
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    Default A dilemma

    My fellow cartographers, I have a problem.

    I was searching our group on deviantArt when I found a map that looked very familiar, the first map posted below. As you can see it has a very distinct landmass, almost too distinct. In fact it looks a bit too much like my map The Evelandias - Adallia, the second map posted below, some of the islands are even in the same place! I ask you, am I being paranoid or do you think he ripped off my map. I just find it a little hard to believe, the land mass is just a bit too distinct and my map came out about half year before his; this is really perplexing me as this is the first map I ever really did and I'm kind of protective over it. Should I report it? Ignore it? Or do something else?

    -D-
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    People come and people go. I walk amongst them, I see their faces; but none see mine. I pass them in the streets but nary a glance is spared my way, for what interest would they have in a Wanderer? Not of this world... Forever Alone... Forever Wandering... LoneWandererD...

    My DeviantART

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    RIP Angel "Ingy" Yates - The first inspiration that guided me towards art. You will be missed...

  2. #2

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    I think you should better something else as to my believe you are ripped!

  3. #3
    Community Leader Facebook Connected tilt's Avatar
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    There is no doubt as the the "inspiration" from your map - they are too alike for it to be a coincidence. I'm guessing he liked the shapes you got going, and took what he needed, and then changed things to separate the look of the map from yours, and perhaps fit his own campaign better.
    Artist take inspiration from other artist all the time, heck how else could we come up with something "new" so often (yeah yeah, we also get inspiration from other stuff), but it is always a thin line between getting inspired and "ripping something of". For the right thing to have done would to have given you credit for inspiring him for his continent- in which case you probably would have been glad and proud instead of disapointed. Now that ship has sailed and I'm not sure what advice to give you - but I'll tell you what I might do (concidering its non-commercial) ... I'd comment on his picture on DA something about "nice to see my maps have inspired your work" or such or you could write a mail saying "I wish you would have asked..." ... or if you're non-confrontational - let it go, at least now 1 person knows it other than you
    And please concider, that he probably didn't even think he did anything wrong.
    regs tilt
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    Guild Artisan LonewandererD's Avatar
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    You make sense Tilt but I'm still very annoyed. He didn't acknowledge me, he's claiming it to be his and he even has it up on his website as "his" work. I know I sound childish right now, I'll come back when I stop fuming...

    -D-
    People come and people go. I walk amongst them, I see their faces; but none see mine. I pass them in the streets but nary a glance is spared my way, for what interest would they have in a Wanderer? Not of this world... Forever Alone... Forever Wandering... LoneWandererD...

    My DeviantART

    Finished Maps

    RIP Angel "Ingy" Yates - The first inspiration that guided me towards art. You will be missed...

  5. #5
    Community Leader Facebook Connected torstan's Avatar
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    Send him a private message expressing your concerns. He's certainly used it as inspiration, but it's not a direct lift as much of the coastline is different. But you should definitely contact him and note the similarity and the lack of any attribution.

  6. #6
    Guild Artisan LonewandererD's Avatar
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    I dropped him a subtle hint about it but one of my friends says they've already reported the post to the powers-that-be. I don't want it gone, just a little acknowledgement, a selfish thought I know but it would be nice. I'll just have to see what happens.

    -D-
    People come and people go. I walk amongst them, I see their faces; but none see mine. I pass them in the streets but nary a glance is spared my way, for what interest would they have in a Wanderer? Not of this world... Forever Alone... Forever Wandering... LoneWandererD...

    My DeviantART

    Finished Maps

    RIP Angel "Ingy" Yates - The first inspiration that guided me towards art. You will be missed...

  7. #7
    Community Leader Guild Sponsor Gidde's Avatar
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    It's not selfish, it's standing up for yourself. That's your work and credit needs to go where it's due.

  8. #8
    Administrator Redrobes's Avatar
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    I would say that there is a close resemblance in several areas in the shape and layout of the map landmass but the map is an original rendering. It's like stealing a few riffs and making a new song - it happens and I think to some extent you gotta expect it. Microsoft lifted almost all their OS from Xerox and everyones lifting elements of the Apple interfaces. Some things in art too have been endlessly recycled.

    I think he should own up and say "based on a map by" or even loosely based on or whatever. I mean at the end of the day he has ability and presumably could have drawn a different shape. The problem here is that he either forgot or does not think its right to attribute it. Its the wholesale cloning and passing off that I think is where its out of order as there is no injection of new talent at all. I assume in all of this that you didn't use a program to create the shape and it might be worth seeing if there are other maps he has done with same lifting of ideas and if so is there any attribution to them. Is your map CC licensed too - if it is and has SA share alike property then you have some leverage to ensure his is CC (SA) also.

  9. #9
    Guild Artisan LonewandererD's Avatar
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    My Creative Commons license does allow for the modification of my maps and I did not use a program to make my landmasses, they were hand drawn.

    -D-
    People come and people go. I walk amongst them, I see their faces; but none see mine. I pass them in the streets but nary a glance is spared my way, for what interest would they have in a Wanderer? Not of this world... Forever Alone... Forever Wandering... LoneWandererD...

    My DeviantART

    Finished Maps

    RIP Angel "Ingy" Yates - The first inspiration that guided me towards art. You will be missed...

  10. #10
    Administrator Redrobes's Avatar
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    What CC did you use ? BY ? NC ? SA ? etc

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