Ehhh..

[Art Theft]
One who steals and receives praise on an artwork they never created.

I am both Tykie on here as well as in a 3D Chat community called IMVU.
IMVU is just IMVU. There are no specific definition to what those four letters stands for. An IMVU user back in 2005/2006 said it stood for Instant Messaging Virtual Universe and IMVU got stuck with that, but truly when spoken to about it an IMVU staff said IMVU doesn't stand for anything.

IMVU is filled with users who can create "products" to sell for their own personal gain. Stickers (images slapped onto users' homepages), 3D items, etc.. The thing is. Any user can create a sticker with ANY TYPE of image. It could be your artwork, or those who can really do art on their own - their own artwork. IMVU's currencies are credits. 5,000cr = $5.00. Imagine what anyone could do with your artwork.

So recently, I've gotten friends telling me either their friends' artwork were stolen and wants the product pages gone. Usually, the artist should file a dmca takedown.

[link]

You artists out there.. this would be your future reference. No matter what your artwork looks like, someone out there is bound to steal it and sell it as their own without your written permission. But of course, you have us (ones who are both users on dA and IMVU) to keep a look out for your work.

The link above is the link to IMVU's Terms of Service. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, you will see the DMCA Takedown category and an example of how to file one.

As much as I do talk to IMVU staff sometimes.. doesn't mean I get to take advantage of them and act like they're just staffies not normal human being like us. No. I rather not really.. but only sometimes when I do need someone's help do I ever ask a favor for them to help me out lol.

The most recent deviantART artist I've helped out was TheHWord. Her pixel doll just out of the random appeared in the IMVU catalog under an IMVU developer. I was told by PenguinSlut about the situation with her requesting my help. So I went ahead and contacted the Art Director of IMVU even when I know his answer would relate to "DMCA" , contacted the user with the most simplest question of all: "Do you have a screenshot of written proof that the dA artist had given permission for you to sell at your own personal gain?" or something like that, then contacted TheHWord about the situation. Then of course the user replied back and had the product taken down today.

In the past four years of my IMVU life, I've always did it all by myself without a staff's help with art theft. I always confront the user who stole the artwork and ask nicely. I do not in any way go at them with scary looking eyes and what not lol no, I just use words that are most convincing. Seriously, who wants to get disabled by IMVU just because your product is a stolen artwork It really just takes the time and patience to have something taken down. IMHO, I think I work better and faster than IMVU themselves with the DMCA takendown and what not. XDDDDDD

Yeah.. that's pretty much it.
If you need some help with contacting IMVU about stolen artwork, feel free to note me here. Or if you're an IMVU user, don't hesitate to send me a private message on my homepage.

Sincerely,
Tykie.
(now where's my cape and tights.. i wanna be JusticeMan) XD