Last week I googled DaraGallery just to see what was coming up in the search results. I've been thinking about a name change, but am not sure, so wanted to see how my current name was doing. The results were good, only problem, some site that redirects web surfers to ads (many porn) had hijacked my name and pictures.
After a little reading and research I found out that many, many, many DeviantArt users are now unknowingly part of "
OkeyShare - the world's largest online social community for artists and art enthusiasts, allowing people to connect through the creation and sharing of art." The only thing is, its not.
It's just a site that redirects people to ads when you click on the artwork. What's so insidious is that they have not only ripped our pictures, but they make it look like we all have galleries on the site so they are ripping our "brand" too.
Chances are you have one of these fake redirect galleries there.
Mine has been taken down - and I'll tell you how I did it - but first, you may want to do this little check and see what you come up with:
Type your user/gallery name here on DeviantArt into either google or the address bar then type dot then okeyshare.com (Ex. "daragallery . okeyshare.com" but with no spaces). I wouldn't follow the links that come up. You never know what you'll get and you are just giving them traffic. You can also do a search on your dA gallery name in Google Images and see if pictures come up with your gallery name followed by okeyshare . com. Again, I don't recommend following the links. I've tested this on a number of our dA names and every time a fake gallery has been set up.
So, your name and pictures are being used. What do you do?
Well, you can report an image to Google, but to get Okeyshare to stop it takes more. To be honest, I don't know which of the letters I've posted below worked. I've only gotten vague or no responses from the companies involved [UPDATE: I just heard back from GoDaddy and they said they were not the host and couldn't help me. My stuff is down through so either the Enzu or okeyshare letters worked]. My "gallery" takes you nowhere now and I no longer see the ripped images on google. Good luck and please, please pass this info on!!!
Okeyshare's IP info:
Domain Name: OKEYSHARE.COM
Registrar URL: www.godaddy.com
Registrant Name: Domain Admin
Registrant Organization: OkeyShare, Inc.
Name Server: NS55.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server: NS56.DOMAINCONTROL.COM IP Address 23.244.48.33 is hosted on a dedicated server
Created:2015-08-24Expires:2016-08-24Owner:
Domain Admin (OkeyShare, Inc.) Hosting company:Enzu Inc, Letter to Enzu (note that I also provided original photos, the photos as they appeared on dA and screen captures of the photos with the redirect URL taken from Goolge Images - one of which I'll post below so you can see what I mean):
Sent: Monday, February 29, 2016 1:04 AM
Subject: Fw: infringement take down request
Re: Copyright Claim
To the ISP Hosting Company:
Okeyshare reports to be “The largest online art gallery and community.” but instead uses imagines lifted from sources such as DeviantArt to redirect internet users to Imageol - imageol.com/image/1MF (mostly porn links). Okeyshare’s hosting info is posted at the end of this email.
Copies of two photographs being infringed are attached to assist with its removal from the infringing website. Screen captures depicting use of these photos to redirect surfers from okeyshare.com to Imageol is posted below as is links to the Deviantart pages these images were taken from.
This letter is official notification under the provisions of Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) to effect removal of the above-reported infringement. I request that you immediately remove the specified posting and prevent the infringer, who is identified by its web address, from posting the infringing photograph to your servers in the future. Please be advised that law requires you, as a service provider, to “expeditiously remove or disable access to” the infringing photograph upon receiving this notice. Noncompliance may result in a loss of immunity for liability under the DMCA.
I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of here is not authorized by me, the copyright holder, or the law. The information provided here is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I swear under penalty of perjury that I am the copyright holder.
Please send me at the address noted below a prompt response indicating the actions you have taken to resolve this matter. Sincerely,
Dara Trahan
Link to screen capture from google images showing the "gallery" they created for me on Okeyshare (it's down now):
<da:thumb id="594583240"/>
Cease and Desist Letter to Okeyshare:
To: admin@okeyshare.com<admin@okeyshare.com>;
ATTN: Okeyshare
re: daragallery.okeyshare.com
We are writing to notify you that your unlawful copying of DaraGallery images, product and/or business name infringes upon my noted copyrights. Accordingly, you are hereby directed to
CEASE AND DESIST ALL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.
DaraGallery is the owner of a copyright in various aspects of the contents of DaraGallery on DeviantArt.com and other venues. Under United States copyright law, DaraGallery’s copyrights have been in effect since the date that the client’s copyrighted material was created. All copyrightable aspects of DaraGallery’s images, text, visual art products are copyrighted under United States copyright law.
It has come to our attention that you have been copying Daragallery’s work for commercial purposes. We have copies of your unlawful copies to preserve as evidence. Your actions constitute copyright infringement in violation of United States copyright laws. Under 17 U.S.C. 504, the consequences of copyright infringement include statutory damages of between $750 and $30,000 per work, at the discretion of the court, and damages of up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement. If you continue to engage in copyright infringement after receiving this letter, your actions will be evidence of “willful infringement.”
We demand that you immediately (A) cease and desist your unlawful copying of DaraGallery’s COPYRIGHTED WORK and (B) provide us with prompt written assurance within ten (10) days that you will cease and desist from further infringement of CLIENT’s copyrighted works, including and not limited to: daragallery.deviantart.com/art…daragallery.deviantart.com/art…
These works and any others copyrighted to DaraGallery shall be removed from daragallery.okeyshare.com
If you do not comply with this cease and desist demand within this time period, DaraGallery is entitled to use your failure to comply as evidence of “willful infringement” and seek monetary damages and equitable relief for your copyright infringement. In the event you fail to meet this demand, please be advised that DaraGallery has asked us to communicate to you that it will contemplate pursuing all available legal remedies, including seeking monetary damages, injunctive relief including take down notices to your ISP provider, and an order that you pay court costs and attorney’s fees. Your liability and exposure under such legal action could be considerable.
Before taking these steps, however, we wished to give you one opportunity to discontinue your illegal conduct by complying with this demand within ten (10) days. Accordingly, please respond to this email within ten (10) days.
End
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~*~*~*~ UPCOMING EVENTS ~*~*~*~
The New York Capital District Renaissance Festival, June 11 & 12, 2016: nycapitaldistrictrenfest.com/
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CUSTOM ORDER INFORMATION: My available inventory of masks and other crafts can be found here: www.etsy.com/shop/DaraGallery, handmadeartists.com/shop/DaraG… and www.zibbet.com/daragallery. If you can't find what you need at these locations contact me for custom work.
Custom Order Price List*:
- Brocade, satin or brocade/satin masks with a paper mache base: $35-$45, dependent on the cost of the embellishments. Note: I can create a less expensive brocade mask for $22-24 each (paper mache or pressed paper base). It will not have a felt back, layered trims or a handmade fascinator. Contact me for a sample picture.
- Brocade or satin masks with a lightweight pressed paper base: $28-38, dependent on cost of embellishments.
- Mulberry paper/flower masks - paper mache and mulberry base, $35 - 37
- Handmade papier mache imp, goblin or bird/feather masks: $60-80 depending on complexity.
- Vegetable Tanned Split Leather Masks with lace, satin and/or brocade finish - $36 to 42
- Vegetable Tanned Tooling Leather Masks $43-55
- Victorian Ornaments: $18, multiples - $17 each
* Does not include a small design fee for some projects. Deposit may be required. See my Etsy Store policy page for details. Couples masks or multiple orders receive slight discounts.
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FaceBook business page: www.facebook.com/pages/Daragal…;
Please take a second to like It would be greatly appreciated!
~D
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Sanitizing Feathers
When researching the proper way to sanitize bird feathers I came upon a lot of information - some of it good, some of it not so good and some of it just plain confusing. I have summarized the most useful info here in a blog on the subject: daragallery.wordpress.com/2013…
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Clubs:
