For creators, the internet offers a global storefront, but it also opens the door to rampant artist intellectual property theft. Illustrators and painters build businesses from their creative output, only to watch their income drain away when copies surface thousands of miles away. The battle to reclaim their work leaves many feeling angry and helpless as they navigate complex reporting systems.
The Toll of Constant Art Plagiarism
Kerrie McNeill, an illustrator who transforms her colorful designs into art prints, greeting cards, and stationery, discovered likely copies of her work listed on Temu. A version of her pink “Happy Birthday” card, complete with gold foil detailing, was selling for 96p on the platform. The authentic piece costs £3.60 on her own website. Placed side by side, the two cards are strikingly similar, with only minor alterations setting them apart.
McNeill said some of these alleged fakes appear to have been altered using artificial intelligence, making them harder to identify. “It makes it not enjoyable, constantly being on edge,” she said. “If artwork is accessible then people think that it is theirs to take. Because so many people think that it’s okay to do, more people do it, and they just don’t care.”
Two years after first reporting the listings, McNeill said the effort of flagging and removing likely copycat products has become an exhausting cycle. The alleged fake illustrations continue to appear, and each report takes time to complete. “It’s just unfair,” McNeill added. “I don’t think that it should be my job to take down all these listings of my own artwork that has been stolen.”
Protecting Legacies from AI Art Theft
The problem extends beyond digital illustrations. Terry Bradley, a renowned painter whose contemporary depictions of Belfast dock workers and female figures have earned an international following, has also been targeted. His son, Hal Bradley, serves as creative director at Terry Bradley Art. He said alleged reproductions of his father’s paintings regularly appear for sale online. One painting even turned up hanging on the wall of a bar in Thailand.
“Terry’s put so much time into these pieces,” Hal Bradley said. “When somebody shows us a botched reproduction of his painting, it kills that for him.” The family regularly spots likely copies in people’s homes and for sale online. “It’s not just that it’s fake,” he said. “It’s also that it’s attributed to our paintings. It ruins the whole art piece.”
To help distinguish genuine work, every original Bradley painting is now embossed, signed, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Still, the family finds the process of reporting individual listings frustrating. “The people doing it are breaking the law,” Hal Bradley said. “It seems that if we don’t do every little thing to remove individual listings, they are just allowed to do it.”
Legislation Lags Behind Temu Copyright Issues
Cyber security expert Kevin Curran notes that technology has moved much faster than the laws designed to protect creators. “Legislation is lagging far behind,” he said. For many artists, pursuing legal action is simply unrealistic. Cases can drag on for years and cost thousands of pounds, a burden made heavier when sellers operate anonymously or are based overseas.
“The sheer scale is very hard for owners,” Curran explained. “You’re faced with a future where you won’t be able to claim for your original artwork anymore.” This grim outlook forces creators to rely heavily on the platforms hosting the counterfeit goods to police artist intellectual property.
Online marketplaces implement systems to help copyright holders report suspected infringements. Following pressure from the Greeting Card Association (GCA), Temu introduced a bespoke takedown process for greeting card publishers in October. Previously, companies had to report every individual listing manually. Under the new trial, publishers submit a single link, allowing software to identify and remove other listings using the same design. This prevents identical copies from simply being re-uploaded.
Temu stated that they “do not permit unauthorised use of intellectual property.” The platform is currently reviewing and removing the alleged copies of McNeill’s work. Furthermore, they are adding her creations to their IP database for ongoing proactive monitoring to help prevent them from being listed again by bad actors. Temu stressed that their sellers are “required to comply with applicable laws and Temu’s policies as a condition of operating on the marketplace.”
To protect rights holders, Temu utilizes a combination of automated detection and manual review systems. The platform currently scans more than 47 million images and 9.5 million keywords to identify potential Temu copyright violations.
What Happens Next
The fight against online counterfeit art is far from over. While platforms like Temu take steps to streamline takedowns and utilize proactive monitoring, independent artists will likely continue to bear the brunt of enforcement. The rise of AI tools means that detecting subtle alterations will become increasingly difficult for automated systems, requiring constant upgrades to detection software.
Creators and industry groups will need to keep pressure on e-commerce giants to expand their bespoke takedown tools beyond just greeting cards to cover all forms of digital and physical art. Ultimately, closing the gap between technological advancement and intellectual property law will require legislative action. Lawmakers must update copyright frameworks to give artists the legal footing they desperately need to protect their livelihoods in the digital age.
— Lucas Berg, culture desk, AXO News