* * * * IMPORTANT UPDATE * * * *

Since posting this journal I have heard back from a lovely member of the deviantART team who apologized for the deletion of my deviation. It has subsequently been restored along with everyone's lovely comments (which is what I feared most would be lost for good).

I have to say my faith was lost and restored in dA in less than 12 hours and I am extremely grateful for the speed and sincerity with which the matter was handled.

My thanks to for dealing with the matter sensitively and swiftly.

The only thing I seem to have lost permanently are the 5000+ faves the photo received. I had been slowly working my way through the list so that I could thank everyone individually... perhaps it was foolish to try, but try I did.

I think I shall have to give up on that particular ghost, but I can at least take solace in the fact that I have always and will always respond to fellow artist's comments left on my artwork - this is a community and it's about sharing and communicating and it is important to me that we engage with (and support) each other.

And on the subject of support, thanks to everyone who commented and showed their support in this journal - whilst I feel a little foolish for my perhaps (over)reaction (I didn't take too kindly to being labeled an Art Thief), your comments here made me feel a whole lot better!!!

Thank you. x

Keep Creating!!

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Hello friends and peers PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING

I have to alert you all to the fact that someone has claimed that my photograph of Heath Ledger and Heather Graham was stolen and deviantART have removed it, without question, from my gallery. Not only is it a complete insult to my integrity as an artist, but it is also alarming that devaintART can remove YOUR work WITHOUT even contacting you to verify whether the allegation of (and I quote) ART THEFT is actually founded.

I don't know if anyone else has suffered this sort of treatment, but if anyone has the time, inclination or influence I would very much appreciate it if you could lobby deviantART administration and point out that not only have they made a huge error, they have also potentially threatened my reputation on this site.

Heath and Heather was a massively popular deviation, it received thousands of favourites and hundreds upon hundreds of comments - all of which I responded to personally, and the removal of my work as common theft is totally insulting to me and all the people that took time to comment and fave it.

Here is the letter I have sent to devaintART:

Three things:

1 - Why does deviantART remove deviations without contacting the artist first? Perhaps if you had contacted me in advance of removing my work you would have discovered that the photograph was indeed an image taken by me. I can not believe that devaintART would remove an artists work without first verifying whether or not the work is genuine.

2 - Who flagged this deviation as copyright infringement? This photo was taken by me and I have the negative to prove it. If someone believes this to be a 'stolen' image then it means someone believes this image came from somewhere else. If this is the case it also means that there is the possibility someone has actually stolen my image and I would like to know immediately what evidence deviantART were given in order for them to believe that the image was stolen.

3 - I would like my photograph of Heath Ledger and Heather Graham (which received a daily deviation) including my artists comment which was a very personal story about the circumstance when the photograph was taken to be reinstated immediately, with all comments and faves that had been applied to it. I would also like an apology. The mere implication that I stole this work is an insult to my integrity as an artist.

It's a very serious allegation to imply someone has stolen someone elses work and devianART needs a better system with which they deal with such issues.

Sincerely,

Bryon Fear