PSA : FruitySalad (resolved. DO NOT BUMP)

Posted 3 years, 4 months ago (Edited 2 years, 7 months ago) by Zomb3h

I posted about this first on the general thread to get some advice. I wasn't sure if this warranted a proper PSA thread, but after some advice urging me to do so, I am. I'm genuinely worried about the possible hassle and inconvenience this may have/had on people participating in their resales/trades. Giving proper credit for designs and artwork is always important. This is especially true when you resale/trade a design/character. It has the potential to create all sorts of messes.

I did not create this as a witch hunt and don't want the person harassed. I just wanted to give people a bit of a warning to be cautious.
Their Toyhou.se - FruitySalad
Their DeviantArt - violeta-adopts

September 21st I gave them a character for free from my Freebie Thrad. They own the character now so I can't do anything. I found it odd that right after transferring they deleted the character. This made me a little suspicious, but I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt. So I just sort of casually kept them in mind to check up on later. Upon poking their toyhou.se recently I noticed a slot of their characters listed had issues. Mostly being different enough art styles and designs, but all being credited to them or just lacking credit. (Made me wonder if they resold the character I gifted them, but searching for their name, the creator's name, etc has brought up no results.)

So I found their Deviantart they had linked. And started doing some digging into their gallery. I ended up finding one of my older designs that was given out as a Christmas Freebie for a DeviantArt group. It was resold without any credit at all. This was done some years ago, but I did leave them a comment on it. (No reply yet.) Looking more closely I noticed a lot of their listed artwork and characters on this site have improper crediting. Most of them are easily found in their favorites folder on Deviantart. This has apparently been going on for quite some time. Some of the characters have been listed for a decent amount of time, and still have the wrong credit. Surely if the original sheets and creators are easily found in their favorites, they can find the information to credit?

Someone who'd like to be anonomyous has also found one of the adoptables on their Deviantart seems to possibly be stolen from someones popular avatar on Gaia. I'm unfamiliar with this site/game, but they've provided screenshots for proof. If this is the case this possibly opens a whole cluster of issues.
Proof: here and here.

I've gathered up a few of my own screenshots for proof, just incase they start removing deviations or characters.
My screenshot collection here

More Proof
Here's links of all of their characters I've found so far that have wrong credits. It's too many to properly link in HTML format for me at this time. (Sorry about that). I've reported each of these characters for improper crediting already. It includes their character listing and the original sheets on Deviantart.

https://toyhou.se/8702082.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/tygerlanders-adopts/art/closed-Mammoth-Adopts-3-pts-626683744

https://toyhou.se/8733745.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/meowwoofoink/art/Polka-Dots-Ponies-Adopts-OPEN-577201018

https://toyhou.se/8286814.open
https://www.deviantart.com/gossameradopts/art/Bunch-o-menhera-kids-OPEN-1-14-SET-PRICE-767162629

https://toyhou.se/8286952.open
https://www.deviantart.com/ykadopts/art/closed-768344179

https://toyhou.se/8286863.open
https://www.deviantart.com/kaena59/art/Ota-adopt-Closed-3-0-15-761934522

https://toyhou.se/8287072.open
https://www.deviantart.com/olafthegreat/art/Adopt-Giveaway-P2-Dogs-OPEN-756763444

https://toyhou.se/8737746.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/purplepandanerd/art/FUNDRAISER-MLP-Adoptables-CLOSED-685486991

https://toyhou.se/8702281.open
https://www.deviantart.com/phillthefab/art/Violeta-Adopts-Adopt-3-681939630

https://toyhou.se/8287239.open
https://www.deviantart.com/crazzie-me/art/Kitties-Adoptables-close-645020696

https://toyhou.se/8287208.open
https://www.deviantart.com/siemnei/art/Closed-Adoptable-2-please-read-description-598784791

https://toyhou.se/8350627.open
https://www.deviantart.com/aiko-adopts/art/Closed-Skater-Girl-Points-Paypal-573846471

https://toyhou.se/8286821.open
https://www.deviantart.com/crazy-peach-adopt/art/Icecream-Deamons-closed-549641777

https://toyhou.se/8294274.open
https://www.deviantart.com/darkshadowbunnychan/art/CLOSED-665122450

https://toyhou.se/8285237.open
https://www.deviantart.com/reiuu/art/Adopts-Closed-582143920

https://toyhou.se/8286933.open
https://www.deviantart.com/neeyr/art/Adoptable-4-CLOSED-589182716

https://toyhou.se/8733737.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/karma-chara-adopts/art/Mlp-Adopts-Ota-Open-758390725

https://toyhou.se/8702296.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/grindr/art/Breedable-Beamer-for-Violeta-Adopts-758727058

https://toyhou.se/8702253.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/eyelesszomp1re/art/OTA-Kittydog-adopts-please-take-them-closed-758187449

https://toyhou.se/8285727.open
https://www.deviantart.com/crywolf130/art/2-5-OPEN-OTA-Cat-Adopts-744995420

https://toyhou.se/8733714.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/melodywinds/art/OTA-Sketchy-Adopts-CLOSED-787106844

https://toyhou.se/8860406.offer-to-adopt
https://www.deviantart.com/queentoxia/art/Custom-1-678519023

https://toyhou.se/8287185.open
https://www.deviantart.com/sunnyqorgi/art/Price-Reduced-Pony-Adopts-4-4-OPEN-592070462

Edit #1:
They haven't replied to my comment about lack of credit on the Deviation that used my artwork; selling a free adoptable. They did however decide to 'like' it. So they've seen it and haven't replied nor did they change the description to include credit.
Proof

Edit #2
Was messaged by someone wanting to stay anonomyous. They traded art for some of FruitySalad's characters. They weren't credited properly and it's been a hassle for them no doubt. They mentioned even being worried to use them. :c Which is why I made this whole thread to warn people. I knew it'd no doubt cause hassle for others. I've crossed out identifying things, but got permission for taking screenshots to add to this thread.
Their message to me
One of the characters - The original listing
Another character - The original listing (for free!)

As more things are gathered and reported I'll continue editing and adding it in this main post. There's a ton of uncredited artwork too. Nearly all of their artwork shown here on toyhou.se isn't credited properly. But it's been hard tracking down everything. (I'm also not sure how to report uncredited artwork)

Zomb3h

Added a bit of an update to first post. They 'liked' my comment on Deviart when I brought up them not crediting me upon the deviation of my design (and art) they resold. They haven't replied. It makes me upset that they haven't said anything. They also haven't added any credit either. Also decided to respond and comment again and mention their lack of crediting on here. Even though I'm suspicious, I want still give them a chance to perhaps edit and start adding credit. Or at least see if they care about it.
Screenshot incase deleted
Deviation link with comments.

nekomancy

I used to play Gaia Online for a long, long time. Unfortunately nothing can truly be done about the avatar they've stolen(?) from the site. Multiple ways about finding out what items a person has on is available to use allowing people to see what is being worn on a character. This option is toggleable (strictly viewing from the person's equipment), but also searching in the closet option (I don't think much can be done about it but I'd love to know if it can be!).

Zomb3h

Ah thanks for letting me know. I didn't think anything could be done,, but it just seemed like a sort of shady practice to do so I figured it was probably worth mentioning. I'm not familiar at all with Gaia Online myself.

nekomancy

That is a-okay! =) It is still something that is iffy and not cool so it was worth mentioning!

amernoir

In regards to the Gaia Online thing, I will be honest and say I don't recognize that avatar (I still use the website and am fairly active on the forums) - that doesn't mean that it isn't stolen, but it could also just be the person who made it and is just chilling in the store, although that is highly unlikely. Gaia avatars aren't technically meant to be used as adoptable anyway... there was this massive debate in another PSA that I don't want to bring up again, but the main no-no regardless of your position on Gaia Adoptables is set abuse.

Set abuse is using all of the same set to create an avatar, meaning it is just a pre-created character, not your own. "Sets" are basically items with multiple poses and items (such as a dress, hand pose, shoes, etc.) but none of the gaia adoptables are sets - and they look very handmade. I will say it seems very weird for that avatar to be at the shops considering I've never seen it before... and I'm a daily user. If you'd like I can ask the forums

Zomb3h

It's up to you if you'd like to. When it was brought up to me I figured it was worth mentioning just in case. Seems a little odd to me in general.

Zomb3h

More information added to my first post:

Was messaged by someone wanting to stay anonomyous. They traded art for some of FruitySalad's characters. They weren't credited properly and it's been a hassle for them no doubt. They mentioned even being worried to use them. :c Which is why I made this whole thread to warn people. I knew it'd no doubt cause hassle for others. I've crossed out identifying things, but got permission for taking screenshots to add to this thread.
Their message to me
One of the characters - The original listing
Another character - The original listing (for free!)

Zomb3h

OOPS! Thank you. I missed the one. ;w; All fixed now.

MadameGrotesque

Well dang, I got a Gaia thing for free from them, geeze not messing with that again, thought they took the time to make those avatars themselves.

sadcats

fruity's account seems to have been closed, either by themself or a moderator. i think its best to say that this is a resolved situation.

(p.s new to this forum, apologies if i did something wrong)
edit: added a link

Zomb3h

I know I sent in some tickets that were taken care of by moderators. I wouldn't be surprised if they did get banned. But yes it seems like things have been resolved, the thread hasn't been posted on in months until now. Lol

Zomb3h

DroctorGoo I really appreciate the help in bumping the thread. It seems as if the situation is resolved, for now, however. Their account is closed and I know a moderator replied to my tickets about them. So it may be best to stop bumping just for now unless they for some reason return. ^^'