Introduction
I was innocently doing keyword research for my print on demand business, using the website eRank , and I searched the phrase ‘support main’ hoping to find more keyword ideas to go with my popular Support Main syringe design.
On the Keyword Tool page, they showed a bunch of Etsy listings that used ‘support main’ as a keyword. And one of them was my artwork! It was uploaded to an account called MimicGamingCo. So I went to their profile on Etsy to check the situation. Yep, they uploaded my design on a hoodie and a t-shirt.
Their ‘style’ appears to be to draw over the stolen artwork – perhaps to try and fool a reverse image search, or claim transformation or originality.
I reported both of these items to Etsy immediately.
I also sent a message to the seller, informing them of the reporting and encouraging them to take down any stolen art ASAP. I hope that they will do so, because it looked like several more designs were stolen. Since I am not the copyright holder of those, I can’t say with 100% certainty that they’re stolen, but it seems likely. I’ll show examples of these below.
Other Possibly Stolen Designs
198/200 I Need Healing
198/200 I Need Healing
I believe the original artist is secretsignal on Redbubble
Liches Get Stitches
The artist of this design is HelloCloudy.
Edit 2024-04-18: I also found this old Reddit post documenting more art theft by MimicGamingCo, this time of a D&D design:
Mimic Gaming Co is stealing from us. If you make D&D related work, make sure your work isn’t on their Etsy
byu/command_shift_ayyyye inredbubble
Update 11.32am, 31 Jan 2020: I have received a message back from Ron of MimicGamingCo:
He claims he had no idea the Support Main design was mine. But considering the other instances of art theft that are clarly avialable, I doubt that.
I will be keeping this blog post up in the hopes of keeping people informed about who they choose to do business with.
If you have evidence of MimicGamingCo stealing a artist’s work, please send me a message and I’ll include it here. Also leave a comment if you want any more exposés on art theft.
xx
Jess
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