Yes, that’s basically what I said, registering a copyright entitles you to statutory damages in the event that someone violates your copyright. Unregistered copyrights have to show actual damages, and can only receive compensation for actual damages, in the event of a copyright violation.
@Louise_Driggers Reminds me of a game where you ran a game development company managing virtual employees. The developers of that game sent out modified copies of their game to piracy sites knowing that pirates would get a hold of their game and distribute it anyways.
However, the modified versions of the game distributed by the game developer on piracy sites would force the player into bankruptcy claiming that because people were pirating the virtual game you made in your virtual company, your company could not pay its bills and it would result in a game over.
That’s rotten. Sad to read their pi$$y reply. There’s no honour or decency there. 
@Louise_Driggers I think you should contact an attorney. Find out how much it’ll cost to go after these guys. We can start a gofundme and support you.
Well that sucks. I even see some stuff I had printed myself…now I’m trawling the listing to see if any of my things ended up there.
the same for me , my design is not under NC but the picture is CC : http://www.ebay.com/itm/3D-Printed-Stickmen-Necklace-or-Pendant-/252202137859?hash=item3ab86b3903:g:Bw8AAOSw8-tWZLfI
Reported to the ebay VeRO program.
Well, I didn’t find any of my designs in that list, but I did find every single one of my designs available for sale here, including photos of my desk… https://www.makexyz.com/3d-models/order/80432a15cffb362793010c9611cb1479
They didn’t even bother to host the images themselves, they are pulling them directly from the Thingiverse S3 repository.
Cheeky!
@Sebastien_Mischler Liked the stick man probably going to register a similar design for monkeys, and black panters with red or blue eyes playing with cubs. Maybe tigers and lions as well.
@Carroll_Sanders you have made several good points, and your advice is appreciated.
But you are subtly wrong on one point.
Nobody has to register copyright. Copyright is always automatic.
It can be a good idea to register copyright, and it can definitely make life easier in the event that someone else tries to claim that your work is theirs. But it isn’t required under law.
Proof of copyright is an important issue, but here it is a side issue.
The cretins abusing copyright in these instances affecting @Louise_Driggers et. al. have already conceded that they don’t own the copyright of the art that they are abusing commercially.
The issue is a bit more simple than that: asymmetric power.
They are presuming that Louise and other artists cannot afford legal representation to assert the right that they clearly have under the law over their own work. The abusers in this case are not contesting ownership of the work, and if they are ever brought in front of a judge they would get destroyed simply because of that.
These bastards are just bullies.
I guarantee that they would never take on Sony, Disney or any other corporation with the feeble excuse that the work made using CAD software cannot be copyrighted.
However, in other, more general cases, it is a good idea to use some legal method to prove ownership of original artwork.
Because in the future these bastards will no doubt get more devious and start to dispute that the original artist is not really the original artist. In that circumstance, a court case will get messy unless ownership of the work is first put beyond dispute by the artist.
Please forgive my harsh language. But those bastards really deserve it.
@Paul_Gross Yes but under my experience, in actual court over copyrighted material that be!onged to me as an artists if you have a registered copyright with the documentation, a good copyright attorney will usually take the case probono, last time I was only charged ten percent of the out of court settlement.
Remember you must have the registration before the actionable conduct occurred, to receive maximum protection, and the strongest case.
It is easy and quick to register a copyright, and for valuable property, it makes sense.
@Carroll_Sanders I will assume that in your jurisdiction that you are correct. Thanks for pointing that out to me and everyone else here.
In general when a copyright dispute goes to court it is best to have the strongest possible evidence of your claim to ownership of the art.
In the specific case of @Louise_Driggers , she has long established her ownership of Aria, and has a history of defending her copyright.
Plus the cretins abusing her work are not even contesting her ownership.
In fact, their behavior is tantamount to daring Louise to go to court, thinking that the cost alone will deter her.
I don’t know about the US, but here in Australia, such flagrant abuse of copyright will likely attract the maximum corporate fine of $200,000 per infringement, plus the very high likelyhood that they would have to pay all Louise’s costs in bringing suit.
Their abuse is among the most egregious I have ever seen.
If this scenario were playing out in Australia, those bastards would be on their knees begging to settle out of court.
I wonder if his former University would be interested in taking back his qualifications? Given the attitude and clear lack of moral fortitude of this clown he is the kind of graduate that does nothing but tarnish a Universities reputation.
By the way has anybody pointed the Game of Thrones lawyers at this guy yet? I don’t know about the US but here in AUS deliberately misrepresenting something is called fraud and is a criminal offence.
I think the community should bring all levels of hell down on this guy so that anybody else has a good long think before they try the same thing.
someone pointed out to simply write their advisors http://www.just3dprint.com/connect.html about this
@Nathan_Walkner The kids founded the company, I would register the copyright, then send a legal letter of cease and desist, along with a note of intention to file suit.
@Louise_Driggers I can’t comment or advise further, on this right now, in the middle of filing a patent application, I just printed copper, hope to one day be able to print bronze. But that will be tricky.
@Carroll_Sanders Thank you very much for your input…
Good luck with your other work:-)
@Louise_Driggers I am developing a way to print metals as well as working on a 3D printer, to do lost wax casting, and to print wall art, directly on a wall.
@Mark_Rehorst Sad Face hasn’t got any hands - how could he kill anyone? I guess he could nibble them to death.
If they stood still for long enough:-)