Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

I am not sure if this is the appropriate place for this discussion but I wanted some input from my Goodread community. Today I received a message on Goodreads from a member regarding my avatar which was a drawing of a girl sitting in a tree reading a book. When I first opened my goodreads account I went on google searching for appropriate images when I found it. The message stated "Your avatar is my art. Please stop using it- as you can not credit it as my work. I am trying to clean up thousands and thousands of misappropriated images. It is very had to make it as an illustrator- this makes it very very sad. Thank you for understanding- Kelly Light Kellylight.com" Which I completely understood. Despite being sad about changing my image I messaged back and apology and compliment about the work. Explaining that I found it on google but that I would remove it. Thinking this was the end of it I went about my business searching for new books to read. I was surprised when a few minutes later I received another message. "It is all over due to the initial blogger who took
It off of my site and did not credit it. Then Laurie halse Anderson took it. Then it went viral. It is never right no matter where you take it from. The artist and the author make their living from their work. I don't take things from stores or rip out my neighbors flowers cause I want them . Same thing. I really want another kid. Not gonna take one. Google images tumblr Pinterest- flawed flawed flawed with out the link. Supposed to link back if you want to use it. Thank you for taking it down now ." I was offended by the tone and berating. I felt like a child having my finger wagged at by my first grade teacher. While I acknowledge that I may have been in the wrong (if she did in fact have her work copyrighted). I found her attitude to be off putting. I had to restrain the rebellious desire to repost the image with a caption that stated sue/fine me. Is this an overreaction on my part? Or should the whole situation have been handled with more grace? There is my rant if this is an inappropriate topic because it is not directly related to a book but rather to goodreads as a whole I will remove it promptly...

Anayha ~ the Nite Owl wrote: "To be honest, while I can see where she is coming from, I think i would be upset at her 'tone aswell. I got my picture from Google Images, which I'm pretty sure thousands of other Goodreads members..."

That is how I always thought of image search's aswell. While I realize that thinking may be incorrect. I could not believe she equated it to stealing someones child. And this was after I apologized and removed the image.

The artist's initial message requesting that you remove the image is completely understandable and you complied very graciously.
Her second message, however, was definitely uncalled for. You removed the image and apologized even though it was an innocent mistake. There was absolutely no reason for her to go off on a tangent and equate what you did with kidnapping. It looks like her ego might have gotten the best of her.

I think your overall reaction to both emails is fine and justified (being an extremely appropriate response in the first instance, and lack of response in the second).

I believe you will be much happier to just put it behind you, move on and archive her emails where you can't see them (the bin works well in these instances ;). This is clearly the artist's issue, not yours. I would leave it as her issue and her rant. Don't take on grief when you don't need to :)

I can see both sides of it - there was actually a blogger last year who was sued by an artist for using their artwork without permission. Its a hugely under-reported problem - how many blogs do you see that do Hottie Monday or Cowboy Thursday - I'd like to think that they have permission to use those pictures, but I doubt it

but the author does have the legal right to sue you if she wanted - you are using her copyrighted image without permission - so I wouldn't necessarily throw the temptation in her face

I personally don't get the comparing books/art to babies, but lots of authors feel that way

I am an artist (3d art) and I understand what she is talking about. Since you did comply she had no business sending the second message to you. Some people are just rude and there is no way getting around that.