I asked nicely, I didn't want to be a bitch. But then I remember who I'm dealing with.

Gee, I love the free love atmosphere of the internet. Where, someone can just take your (copyrighted and trademarked) digital art and use it in their own article without a single mention of it's original context or owner.

Here is how the article ended in the original unedited piece.

I contacted the author as such:

"Hey I saw your piece at Suicide Girls (http://suicidegirls.com/news/culture/22146/) and would like to ask you to at the very least attribute my copyrighted and trademarked artwork to me, Melissa Summers @ Suburbanbliss.net.

Thanks so much.

Melissa"

I came home a couple hours later to find it attributed as follows.

Binky in a glass courtesy of Melissa Summers@Suburbanbliss.net

Here is the follow up attribution.

Because yes, I've copyrighted all binkies in a glass. You stick a binky into a coffee mug and expect to hear from my lawyers. Stick it in a high ball and that's war. The issue isn't exactly the binky in the glass it's that it's MY EXACT LOGO just stuck on top of an article totally unrelated to my website.

I love spending money on a US trademark for no good reason. Just steal my original logo and stick it on whatever you want! Why not! This is the free love internet. Here, I'll send my friend over to draw you your very own! Have at it Internet.

After sitting (fuming) on this for a few hours, something about the lack of understanding that the author had actually stolen my logo and used it on her article with no relation to my site didn't sit well with me so I emailed the editor of the piece directly.

I caught wind of my copyrighted and trademarked logo being used on an article at Suicide Girls. (http://suicidegirls.com/news/culture/22146/)

The attribution which was added at my request doesn't seem to entirely grasp the issue of actually stealing someone else's digital art and reusing it without attribution.

I'm pretty free with my trademark but after sitting on the issue for a few hours I have to ask that the artwork is entirely removed from your site.

I'm sure your staff can draw your own 'binky in a glass' or find a stock image to replace it.

Stealing isn't kind.

Melissa Summers

As of this morning at 10:55 the artwork remains. I'd like it removed.

Edit: It's been removed as of 3:30pm.