Shepparton artist Tank recently became entangled in the controversial maze of online piracy.
His artworks, some created more than a decade ago, were duplicated and sold at less than five per cent of the original price on international websites such as Temu and AliExpress.
Tank’s artwork Complexity of Being tackles the contrasts of life’s blessings and curses.
“It’s about the hit-and-miss luck of life and the harsh nature of it if you’re lucky enough to experience it,” Tank said.
This piece, among others, was lifted from his official website and was being sold without his permission.
Tank said that it was one of his friends who saw saw the artwork on Temu.
“(They) recognised that it’s mine and alerted me to the fact that it’s going for cheap,” Tank said.
He was shocked to find his art being sold for as low as $7, a massive plunge from the hundreds of dollars his artwork usually fetched.
“The cheapest one on my website is $223,” Tank said.
While this wasn’t the first time his art had been copied, Tank was “shocked but sort of not surprised at the same time”.
“It’s happened before on smaller scales,” he said.
He also said that this issue wasn’t confined to one piece.
“I’ve heard of a couple, but I can’t find the other ones yet,” he said.
Tank said he had contacted the organisation but had received no response more than a week later.
He also said the issue raised questions about the efficacy of international copyright laws and the challenges in enforcing them across borders.
“There’s not much you can do unless you want to be offline,” Tank said.
He called on the Australian Government to tighten restrictions on such websites but recognised the complexities involved.
“It’s pointless if it’s just Australia because it would be other countries as well,” he said.
“If they (organisations such as Temu) couldn’t sell copyrighted art to the rest of the world, then they’d have a hard time making money.”
Despite these setbacks, Tank said he would continue his artistic journey.
“It’s not going to stop me from doing what I’m doing,” he said.
“I’m not going to change anything. It’s nearly too late for that — I’ve got to have my images online to be able to sell them.”
Tank’s advice to fellow artists and buyers was a cautionary note.
“Buyers beware,” he said.
“These sorts of websites will show you one picture and send you something else.
“My art is made in Melbourne, supporting the Australian industry and Australian products.”
Tank’s final message was clear.
“Just buy Australian.”
– In the time since the News first spoke with Tank, the artwork has been removed from Temu