HA! I'm being ripped off... does that make me famous?

[vinito]

I was browsing eBay for Data East stuff and discovered that somebody has printed up some drop target decals for a Secret Service machine. Says "enhanced set".
Well that was the art I put together from scratch for my Secret Service I had a few years ago.

Does that make me famous?

I don't feel bad about my art being stolen. The guy is taking the time to make the decals up and selling them to folks who probably need something as those drop targets always seem to go south anyway. The price isn't all that bad I guess. I wouldn't really want to hassle with making them up myself so I guess the guy is just carrying the torch. Maybe I'm just flattered.

He's selling sets with the original art too:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATA-EAST-Secret-Service-Pinball-Machine-Drop-Target-Decals-/230700029170

Here's his listing for the ones with my art:
www.ebay.com/itm/DATA-EAST-Secret-Service-Pinball-Machine-Drop-Target-Decals-Enhanced-Set-/230700024397

Here's a link to my original restoration write-up:
http://home.roadrunner.com/~vinchenzo/ssvc.htm

I still like mine better after all these years. He doesn't mention the hidden cow I put on the rightmost one.

Just kind of made me giggle more than anything.

edit to add: They come from "Classic Arcades". Are they good guys?
http://www.droptargets.com/zencart/

[JRK1971]

I'd be flattered.

At least he is helping keep pinnies alive

[Caveoftreasures]

Have dealt with Jeff n Crystal from Classic Arcades before, nice people. Its good at least he found your artwork great enough to copy. 

Classic Arcades also did the full cabinet decal sets for Black Knight 2000 a year or so ago with Pinball Sales Aust, which i liked because i bought a set for my BK2000 and a set for Beaky's BK2000.
So overall, they are usually very pro-active where alot of companies are not. His website is full of excellent resto stuff. 

[Strangeways]

Just a quick email asking permission, or simply acknowledging your work would have been the right thing to do. I know a member who sent drop target artwork to these guys on the proviso that he receive a full set in return. To this day I don't think he received them.

[Marty Machine]

You'd also be more than entitled to ask for some FREE sets of decals, especially when they took your artwork and didn't even bother to ask....sheesh.

[mildflame]

I have bought heeps of art stuff from him, i think you should let him know that you arn't happy with him earning profit from your work. I know I would have atleast wanted him to ask permission before goes he sells my work!

[vinito]

I sent them an email just to tell them I made the artwork and ask if they've sold much just because I'm naturally curious, plus giving them my blessing to keep using it if they want.
I don't need a decal set because 1) I don't have the machine anymore and 2) if I needed some decals, I've already proven I can make them myself.

They replied and didn't offer any guesses as to how many they've sold (maybe zero yet) but did say they got the artwork off some CD somebody gave them. So if that's true, and I don't have any reason to think otherwise, then they didn't just lift the art off my site and start selling them. And on my site I even mention that the files are free for the taking, so I wouldn't care even if they did that.

I don't mind that they might be making some money off it. I do something else for a living - selling decals isn't my "thing". More power to them. Too bad they apparently fell through delivering a set to the guy Strangeways referenced. My art is still there for the taking if somebody wants to make their own and if somebody would rather just buy a set already made, now there's a source to do that too.

Between my TZ apron cards and those drop target decals I'm slowly becoming a mini-pinball artist   Too bad it takes me about six hours per square inch to draw the stuff up, hehe. I can realize an end result that starts out in my head, but I have zero art technique so it's painfully slow. I guess it's just nice that all that time ends up being displayed in more than my own single machine. If it goes into a half-dozen machines, then I'm down to an hour per square inch. Getting better.

[Marty Machine]

The big question is:

Is the artwork 100% your design? or just an modified DE design? to which you can't claim any rights for tinkering with copyrighted artwork.

If the art is 100% yours, you can shut them down if needed.
Why aren't you selling your own art then?

[vinito]

Well it was hand drawn (on a computer) so...
It does include a fence post element. Does that count? Are fence posts copyrighted?

I don't sell my art because I don't want to sell art. I was a teacher for twelve years and I guess I just formed the habit of giving my brain away freely. It's fun.

I make and repair machine parts for a living and most people don't know how to do that thus there's a market for me, so that's what I do to pay the rent.
If I dreamed up a million-dollar machine part, I'd might try to sell that so I could retire. Never had much luck or ambition with that so I'll probably just retire on my pension if I live that long.