Report Photography Theft - Earn Store Credit ($100+)
A list of competitors found to be using our IP without authorization is maintained at bottom of this page. We have initiated lawsuits against two of these offenders to create an example for future offenders, as they were either unwilling to communicate at all or were unwilling to settle the issue by making a tax-deductible donation to a homeless animal shelter.
As stated below, we do not keep the proceeds of any settlement or judgment, all receipts are either donated directly to a registered nonprofit entity by the defendant or the money is donated in full by Aquatic Arts if the settlement or judgment is paid to our company rather than directly to a registered nonprofit entity. We do this because we are not suing or demanding settlements for profit, we are doing it to discourage unauthorized use of our intellectual property.
Over the years, Aquatic Arts has spent thousands of hours developing one of the most comprehensive and high-quality collections of aquatic photography in existence. That collection has cost into the six-figure range to produce, and unfortunately, it is CONSTANTLY stolen by competitors that would rather steal our work than take their own photo of an item they are selling (and presumably have in stock). We now maintain on this page a list of competitors who have been reported to us by customers or found through our own periodic reverse image searches/etc.
As of July 2020 and for the foreseeable future, we are offering a store credit of $100 to any of our customers that report a USA-BASED RETAIL competitor to us who has stolen at least 5 pieces of our photography and is using it commercially on their own website, Aquabid, eBay, or anywhere else on the internet. The store credit will be available only to the first customer that notifies us of a particular competitor; if we already know of that particular thief, we will notify you that we are already aware in that case. If that competitor is using more than 15 of our photos, we will increase the store credit to $200. If the competitor is an individual selling on eBay/etc and does not have a legitimate business, we will still offer a $25 store credit. Each customer will be eligible to receive one store credit during the lifetime of this promotion, regardless of the number of reports made. In cases where a second report is made and it contains valuable information, we may at our discretion make an exception and grant a second store credit under this promotion. Please send us an email at info@aquaticarts.com to submit the report.
We are doing this because over the years, we have relied on our awesome (and huge) customer base to let us know when competitors are stealing our work, slandering us, or otherwise behaving unethically toward us or the industry in general. To that end, we now reward the people who take time out of their day to help us protect our business and the works it has produced. So, if you see a competitor using our photos or slandering us, please let us know and we would be happy to give you a generous store credit for the information.
We give every infringer a chance to discuss the matter with us and reach a settlement at a far lower cost than going to court (and in some cases don't even ask for a settlement if the infringement is not widespread or highly malicious). All we ask from companies found to be using our copyrighted works without authorization is that they admit wrongdoing and take responsibility for their behavior, and pay a small settlement, usually around $100 per use case of stolen IP versus the minimum statutory damages of $750-$1,500 per photo we are entitled to under the law. Any proceeds from these settlements or lawsuits will be donated to a registered nonprofit with whom we have no affiliation. If we sue a company, it is only because they refuse one or both of these conditions. We do not sue for profit, and will ALWAYS donate any proceeds beyond our legal costs to a registered nonprofit. Now that several settlements have been received, we will compile a list of these donations so they can be verified by customers. The amount of our combined donations to animal shelters in the Midwest is now over $100,000.
Below is the list of competitors who have been reported to us by our customers and who we believe to be engaged in or have in the past engaged in the unauthorized use of our intellectual property. Please note that this list does not constitute a statement of guilt on behalf of those listed below, nor does it constitute a statement of fact by Aquatic Arts that these competitors have stolen our works. This is merely a list of those competitors who we found to be using our intellectual property for commercial profit without authorization after they were reported to us by our customers.
1. "Living Artwork" - livingartwork.us - A young company with an interestingly similar name to Aquatic Arts, found to be using at least 30 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website, Aquabid, and eBay without authorization. The owner (Rick) was unwilling to even discuss a settlement and stated on the phone to our Marketplace Compliance Department that we would lose in court. Also stated that "Petco had tried to do the same thing", which makes it in our opinion seem like they are using photos from other companies without authorization as well. Living Artwork has so far refused to indicate to us that they will even consider a settlement, and Aquatic Arts will be proceeding to a lawsuit to resolve the matter in court. Due to the owner of Living Artwork refusing to admit any wrongdoing or indicate that he would consider a settlement, Aquatic Arts will be suing for the maxium damages allowable under the law as well as our legal fees. We have chosen IACS (Indianapolis Animal Care and Control) as the beneficiary of this case, whether it is settled pre-trial or we are forced to take the matter to court. The settlement that Living Artwork refused to accept or indicate they would consider was $100 per use case of photography owned by Aquatic Arts and used without authorization, with a maximum of $10,000. Separately, a defamation case will likely be filed against the owner based on statements we were notified of by person(s) within the aquatics industry. We will update this case here as new developments come up, as it will serve as a warning to other IP infringers that think we are joking around about suing for IP theft.
"US Tropical Fish" or "Uncle Sam's Tropical Fish" - ustropicalfish.com - Found to be using at least 11 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization. Found to be using multiple photos on social media websites without authorization. Refused to remove the photos used without authorization.
“The iFish Store" - theifishstore.com - Found to be using at least 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization. In our opinion, they were using photos stolen from other competitors as well, and in our opinion this is till going on. Aquatic Arts photos were removed at our request and an apology was made, so no litigation was initiated.
“SunGrow" - Found to be using multiple photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts for aquarium accessory products sold in various places, without authorization. Being litigated in Singapore.
"Discus.com" - Found to be using at least 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization. In our opinion, they were using photos stolen from other competitors as well. In our opinion, their claim of being "the most trafficked aquarium website" is dubious at best. Litigation under consideration due to Discus.com refusing to remove the stolen photos.
"Arizona Aquatic Gardens" - azgardens.com - In our opinion, this is one of the most egregious examples of copyright theft we have faced. Not only was Arizona Aquatic Gardens found to be using photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization, but those photos appear to us to have been intentionally manipulated to circumvent IP defense measures. For example, one photo had its watermark removed, was mirrored, and underwent other edits to change its saturation/etc. Thankfully, one of our loyal customers noticed it was our photo despite the changes and reported the alleged theft to us. This case will likely be litigated under the DMCA, because under 17 U.S.C 1203(b), statutory damages are multiplied by each violation of the DMCA. In this case, a violation likely occurred whenever azgardens.com sold a product that was advertised with stolen and manipulated copyrighted material. As the minimum statutory damages in this case are likely $2,500 due to the removal of copyright protection material, if azgardens.com sold 100 products in this manner they may be liable for $250,000 or more in damages. We decided to litigate this case after azgardens.com claimed (in writing) that the photos were properly licensed and they had not done anything wrong. Had they admitted their actions, we would have offered a settlement for less than 1% of the damages they are likely liable for. This may serve as a harsh example of how much trouble a business can get into for not only using stolen photos, but using stolen photos that have been manipulated to conceal the theft. Azgardens.com should take notice if they read this that destroying or deleting records of how many of the items in question they sold will rise to the level of criminal activity and may result in criminal charges/prison under local or federal law, and at the law's discretion, not ours.
"GoodJoseph Fish Store" - goodjosephlivefishstore.com - In a move that is certainly not good, GoodJoseph Fish Store was found to be using 145 (!!!) photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization. They have been contacted and we are not yet sure how this situation will resolve, but hopefully we are not once again forced to sue in the event the owner refuses to take responsibility for the theft and discuss a settlement/penalty.
“Worldwide Fish and Pets" - worldwidefishandpets.com - Worldwide Fish and Pets was found to be using 8 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization, both across product listings and marketing material. They have been contacted and we are not yet sure how this situation will resolve, but hopefully we are not once again forced to sue in the event the owner refuses to take responsibility for the theft and discuss a settlement/penalty.
"Marcus Fish Tanks" - marcusfishtanks.com - Marcus Fish Tanks was found to be using over 20 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts on their website without authorization, both across product listings and eBay listings. They have been contacted and we are not yet sure how this situation will resolve, but hopefully we are not once again forced to sue in the event the owner refuses to take responsibility for the theft and discuss a settlement/penalty.
"360Aquatics" - 360aquatic.com - 360 Aquatic was found to be using Aquatic Arts intellectual property without authorization, but resolved the matter to our satisfaction by ceasing their unlicensed use of Aquatic Arts copyrighted photographs and making a substantial donation to Echo Dogs, a White Shepherd rescue.
"Lake Area Aquatics" - lakeareaaquatics.com - Lake Area Aquatics was found to be using over 200 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. This company was also found to be using copyrighted product descriptions on many of their item listings. These photos and other intellectual property were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft. A settlement offer will be presented to Lake Area Aquatics within the next 2 weeks.
"Aquarium Plants" - aquariumplants.com - Aquarium Plants was found to be using 17 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Little Bit Fishy" - littlebitfishy.com - Little Bit Fishy was found to be using 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Chichis Aquatic Dreams" - chichisaquaticdreams.com - Chichis Aquatic Dreams was found to be using 22 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Fish Addicts" - fishaddicts.ca - Fish Addicts was found to be using 19 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Inland Aquatics" - inlandaquatics.com - Inland Aquatics was found to be using 11 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Smart Fish Aquarium" - smartfishaquarium.com - Smart Fish Aquarium was found to be using 8 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Splashy Fish Store" - splashyfishstore.com - Splashy Fish Store was found to be using 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website and eBay. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"World Wide Fish and Pets" - worldwidefishandpets.com - World Wide Fish and Pets was found to be using 3 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Your Fish Store" - yourfishstore.com - Your Fish Store was found to be using 6 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Zaviers Tanks" - zavierstanks.ecwid.com - Zaviors Tanks was found to be using 9 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Coast Gem USA" - coastgemusa.com - Coast Gem USA was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"King Koi Goldfish" - kingkoigoldfish.com - King Koi Goldfish was found to be using 13 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Tropic Plant Co" - etsy.com/shop/TropicPlantCo - Tropic Plant Co was found to be using 23 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their Etsy store. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Corals Fish and Beyond" - coralsfishandbeyond.com - Corals Fish and Beyond was found to be using 20 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Aquarium Plants Factory" - aquariumplantsfactory.com - Aquarium Plants Factory was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"The Fish Room" - www.thefishroom.net - The Fish Room was found to be using 7 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Jasons Homemade Flies" - jasonshomemadeflies.com - Jasons Homemade Flies was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Water Cup Office" - watercupoffice.com - Water Cup Office was found to be using 28 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"JJ Aquatics" - www.jjaquatics.com - JJ Aquatics was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Bay Bridge Aquarium" - www.baybridgeaquarium.com - Bay Bridge Aquarium was found to be using 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Ocshrimps" - www.ocshrimps.com and their ebay store - Ocshrimps and their ebay store was found to be using 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Ballsofmoss" - www.ballsofmoss.com - Ballsofmoss was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Zfishrooom" - www.zfishroom.com - Zfishroom was found to be using 7 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"aquariumfishsale" - www.aquariumfishsale.com - aquariumfishsale was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"guppybarnaquatics" - www.guppybarnaquatics.com - guppybarnaquatics was found to be using 12 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"cantonaquatics" - www.cantonaquatics.com - cantonaquatics was found to be using 62 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"aquaticshrimphut" - www.aquaticshrimphut.com - aquaticshrimphut was found to be using 1 photo produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. This photo was used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"aces-aquatics" - www.aces-aquatics.com - aces-aquatics was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"SevenSeaSuppy" - Amazon seller SevenSeaSupply - SevenSeaSupply was found to be using 8 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"SDwildbettafarm" - SDwildbettafarm.com - SDwildbettafarm was found to be using 3 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"EliteInverts" - EliteInverts.com - EliteInverts was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Petworldtropicalfish" - Petworldtropicalfish.com - Petworldtropicalfish was found to be using 7 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Gulfcoastaquarium" - Gulfcoastaquarium.com - Gulfcoastaquarium was found to be using 5 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Thetanklife" - Thetanklife.com - Thetanklife was found to be using 17 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"CVAqua" - www.cvaqua.com - Thetanklife was found to be using 6 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Kazenaquatic" - www.kazenaquatic.com - Kazenaquatic was found to be using 4 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Elegant Reef Tropical Fish Studio " - www.elegant-reef.mybigcommerce.com - Elegant Reef Tropical Fish Studio was found to be using 6 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Royalty Aquatic and Pets " - www.royaltyaquaticandpets.com - Royalty Aquatic and Pets was found to be using 9 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Predatory Fins " - www.predatoryfins.com - Predatory Fins was found to be using 3 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Jadren Aquatics " - www.jadrenaquatics.com - Jadren Aquatics was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Bishop Aquatics " - www.bishopaquatics.com - Bishop Aquatics was found to be using 2 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Shenandoah Aquatics " - www.shenandoahaquatics.com - Shenandoah Aquatics was found to be using 5 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Reef Life Aquariums " - www.reeflifeaquariums.com - Reef Life Aquariums was found to be using 1 photo produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. This photo was used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.
"Florida Aquascaping Etsy Shop " - www.etsy.com/shop/FloridaAquascaping - Florida Aquascaping Etsy Shop was found to be using 16 photos produced and copyrighted by Aquatic Arts across their website. These photos were used without authorization from Aquatic Arts, and we consider such unauthorized use of our photography to be intellectual property theft.