Suzanne Carillo

There I've said it. I've been an artist basically all of my life, selling my drawings, paintings images etc, licensing my designs for larger companies and in all of my experience I've never once had someone hurt me like they did today. 

Today another seller on Etsy claimed that I "stole" her work! Seriously??? As an artist this hurts me deeply. I have never ever wanted to or for that matter needed to copy someone else's work. I have more than enough imagination and I like to think talent on my own to create my own pieces. To even have someone suggest this is shocking to me. 

This is what she wrote me, 

"The image of this pug was clearly stolen from my illustration and edited slightly to make it look as though it was not stolen. Please remove this immediately or I will contact my lawyers in regards to copyright violation."

And when I wrote her saying that image I created was in fact based on my own Pug, Zoe who you've seen often here on my blog and in my scrapbook layouts and photos she replied this,

"Yes, but the base of the illustration you created is absolutely identical to my illustration. Pugs do look alike, but illustrations don't. Whether inspired by or directly copied from my piece, it infringes on my intellectual property."

So…I guess I am to assume that no one has the right to look at the photo of their own dog and then create an illustration from it because Jessica Furtado has made a card already? Yes I'm calling her out and publishing her name. If she wants to casually go around accusing people of stealing her stuff and threatening legal action she needs to be prepared to be called out on it.

I found her Etsy store and tried to figure out what item she is referring to. I'm sorry…but clearly she is blind, or blinded by her naivety. If what she is referring to is here the only thing that looks similar is that the dog is sitting and tilting it's head. All pugs do that. Otherwise my illustration doesn't remotely look like hers. I have more detail and personally I think it's a much better illustration. 

Check them out and let me know what you think… my illustration and photo that I took below…and what I think she may be referring to … here

So far she hasn't suggested that I also stole this idea and image from her based on my girlfriend's Chihuahua, Fiona.  

I'm not worried about her attacking me in court or anything. I know that she is completely out-to-lunch if she thinks that she has the copyright on all pug images in the world, but I am still very hurt thinking that someone else thinks that I don't have enough talent or imagination on my own that I need to copy or steal their work. 

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