Sold a piece I thought I painted, turned out a client ran it through AI first

Last Tuesday in my booth at the Denver Flea Market, a buyer handed me a canvas that looked exactly like my "Storm Elm" series, but the brushwork was too clean. I asked where she got it, and she said she took a photo of my print, ran it through an AI upscaler, and had a print shop reproduce it on canvas for $45. I felt sick because I sold her the original photo reference for $8, and she thought that gave her the right to do it. Have any of you had buyers straight-up admit they AI-remixed your work and sold it back to you?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_morgan181d ago

That line about her thinking the $8 photo reference gave her the right to do that, that's the part that gets me. I've had people try this with my pottery, they buy a small mug and then come back weeks later with a 3D printed replica they made from scanning it. My advice is to start putting a clear statement on your price tags or invoices that says buying the piece does not give them rights to reproduce or alter it. Keep a dated photo log of every piece you make, so if something shows up in their booth later you have proof it came from your work first. Also, if you can, stamp or sign the back of every canvas in a way that's hard to copy, that helps when you need to call them out. People like that usually back off fast when you show them you know your rights and you're not afraid to push back.

nina_taylor17h ago

Ugh, that photo log tip is solid. People really think buying one small thing means they own the whole design. Good on you for pushing back, that's the only way they learn.