Shelagh Duffett says she was surprised when her friends congratulated her on having her painting used on a bedspread being sold online – which prompted her to investigate.
CTV News reached out to Azcozy.com, but received no response, other than an auto-reply email. Duffett says she received the same kind of response when she tried to contact the company. And she’s right; last year, prolific cartoonist Michael de Adder, was surprised when an image he created appeared on T-shirts being sold by a company in California.Copyright expert Mark Belliveau says ownership is never a question when an artist creates something original, but only artists with the necessary financial resources are able to convince the courts to protect it.
Meanwhile, Duffett doesn’t expect to receive any compensation for the use of her art on bedding materials, but hopes Azcozy.com will either remove the product from its website, or contact her to pay a licensing fee.