Mike Carducci, this is a name that I will not soon forget. A representative of Turtle Beach and class A douche bag. Just over a week, a friend of mine, Eddie aka Im Spazzoid, informed me that a signature that I had made him in late February of this year, was being used on the MLGPro.com forums. He sends me the link to the post where my signature is and to my surprise, the thieving bastard works for Turtle Beach and is using MY work to promote his company. He did not have my permission to use my work to promote his company, so I decided I would send him an email.

I email Mike stating that I recently saw that he is using an image that I had made to promote his company without my consent. I ask him to either remove the signature completely or to compensate me for my work, I shouldn't allow my work to earn him business without a little somethin somethin. So I send that email to him and wait for his reply.

He replies to my email with this, "...if you did create the graphic, then I have nothing but the highest praises for your Photoshop skills. Excellent work! I will be more than happy to send you one of our Xbox gaming headsets if would be so kind as to send me the original PSD document as proof." Obviously I am happy about his reply, I am going to get a headset for my work. He is going to be a good person and compensate me for my work, and he complimented me on my Photoshop Skills, this guys is pretty cool right?

I send him a reply to his email, I say thank you for the compliment and I attach a copy of the PSD to prove that it is in fact my work. I also tell him that if he would like some work done in the future to feel free to contact me, I do image work for a few websites and I do many personal requests. A day goes by with no reply, so I decide to email him again, simply asking if he had received my last email with the confirmation that it is in fact my work that he is using.

He shoots me back an email 5 minutes later, this is where he becomes a douche bag. In his email he says "Instead of working out a deal with a headset, I just figured it is easier to change my sig--so I simply edited the graphic so that it's got enough changes with the coloring and background to not be confused with yours." Yea, that's right, he backs out of his original agreement of compensating me with a headset. Instead he uses the PSD that he requested to prove that it is my work, the PSD that if I could give him would earn me a headset, he uses the PSD to change the fracking colors and add a stupid filter effect, so it wouldn't look like my original signature.

This is where I flipped the frack out. The whole time that I was emailing Mike, I was getting legal advise from my Aunt who is a paralegal at a nearby Lawfirm. She tell me that she will email him telling him that if he doesn't wish to follow through with the original agreement, PSD proof for a headset, that we will seek legal action against him. He shoots her an email saying that unless I have permission from George Lucas to use Yoda in my work that he wouldn't compensate me for my work. This asshole uses that proof that I sent him upon request to frack me over. I nearly snapped my laptop in have out of frustration. I don't need fracking permission from George Lucas to use Yoda in a signature that was not made for commercial use, he is the dillweed that needs permission from George Lucas to use Yoda to promote Turtle Beach.

This guy is fracking awesome, he can swindle an 18 year old, he uses my work because he is a fracking ass munchin jock strap and can't make his own shit. He steals my work from my website and crudely pastes it on a turtle beach logo. Honestly is it really that big of a deal to just send me some sort of compensation for my work, I don't mind it if you use my work people, just get my permission first. Seriously, if you want something just contact me and I will be more then happy to help you out, I don't mind helping people out with my talents. Just don't steal my shit, that is when I get pissed and then I don't feel like helping anyone out.

My Original Image

His Original Version of My Image

His alterations after I sent him the PSD as proof

I wasn't thinking clearly when I sent him the PSD as proof, I should have just sent him a screen shot of the PSD open, it was my mistake but either way this guy is a douche.

In the end he screws me out of our original deal and now he isn't using the image in his signature. So at least he isn't using my work anymore.

Replies

7/23/2008 10:03:26 PM From: eddo If he sends you compensation for your work, then yes, you do need George Lucas's permission to use Yoda, as you have now entered into a commercial transaction. Since he is now using it for commercial purposes, he does as well. Report the bastard to Lusacfilm.


7/24/2008 12:16:28 PM From: Ash Of Pompeii Yeah, I mean, it is Yoda so technically the image kind of belongs to George Lucas. But that guy is still a douche.


7/25/2008 9:06:51 AM From: eddo I'm pretty sure Lucasfilm's lawyers are much more impressive than "my aunt who is a paralegal" anyway...


7/25/2008 3:24:00 PM From: Ali Live and learn for the next time. And sending a threatening email from a paralegal means absolutely nothing, just so you know.