New York is certainly one of those places where creativity abounds. Those creative people in this city and elsewhere understand the importance of protecting their art from those who would try to profit from it. The internet has made it a challenge to keep one’s intellectual property safe. One artist is committed to protecting copyrighted images online, and she has taken her campaign to Instagram.
Vlada Haggerty has been the victim of intellectual property theft numerous times. She is a world-renowned makeup artist whose signature “drip-lip” has caused a sensation in the world of beauty products. Images of her makeup designs that she posted online have been stolen and used in the marketing campaigns of other brands, including Kylie Jenner and Make Up For Ever, forcing Haggerty to file lawsuits to reclaim her rights.
This week, Haggerty launched an Instagram account with the purpose of fighting intellectual property theft. The mission of the site is to call out those who misuse the work and images of artists and for artists to support one another by exposing IP theft. Often, an artist is unaware that someone has pilfered his or her work from somewhere online. The Instagram account is designed to bring these cases to the public attention and to education people on the rights of artists to protect their copyrighted works.
While artists are encouraged to share the stories of how others infringed on their intellectual property rights, the real support may come from a legal advocate. For example, a New York attorney who is familiar with intellectual property laws and who is experienced in defending victims of IP theft may be an advantage to an artist. Seeking legal counsel as soon as possible after discovering the wrongful use of copyrighted material is a wise decision.
Source: popsugar.com, “How Makeup Artist Vlada Haggerty Is Fighting Image Theft Online“, Kirbie Johnson, March 23, 2018