Leighton Hubbell - Illustrative Designer

Update - 4.8.09

Since I posted this article yesterday morning, some additional information has come to light and I feel that this should be addressed. In the flurry of outrage towards the allegations toward Jon Engle, I was caught up in defending a trusted colleague and fellow logo designer. Unfortunately, I was remiss in doing further research on the matter and regret my hasty actions of speaking out against Stockart.com without doing my own research and hearing their side. It was after reading the blog post from The Logo Factor, merely hours after mine that I realize perhaps that there is much more to this story than I had originally stated. It was a mistake and I should know better.
With the power of Twitter and blogging these days, it is too often that information (good or bad) can take off and snowball to monstrous proportions. Regretfully, my post has added to that sometimes well-meaning snowball.
Before making your own conclusions, please read The Logo Factor post. At this point, I wish I had.

Update 2 - 4.8.09

As of last evening, Jon Engle seems to have called it quits. He's taken down his website, his blog and closed his Logopond account, which seemed to have been a major source of the scrutiny. His farewell Logopond forum posts are here: http://logopond.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2066&p=3

In the last couple of days, there has been a firestorm of attention to a situation happening to a fellow logo designer and colleague, Jon Engle.  It seems a stock illustration firm and website, Stockart.com has accused Jon of copyright infringement and is seeking a rather hefty sum of $18,000.00 in damages for what they say, is stolen artwork. The work in question is approximately 65 pieces of work that were posted to the logo design site, Logopond.com.
These are pieces that Jon has original sketches, working files and has posted under his real name, not some indecipherable handle that one can easily hide behind. While the person who supplied stockart.com the copied logos is nowhere to be seen online, no portfolio, no postings of the logos in any way. His only venue for selling his work and skills is a unpopular outdated website that requires registration to view images.
On top of all of this Stockart.com's lawyer is calling all Jon's clients and telling them he is a thief and is using stolen artwork in his work. They are attacking his livelihood and defaming his character. Stockart.com is attacking the very market (artists, designers) that it services and depends on for artwork. I can't see how any artist or designer would ever do business with this company after this fiasco.
It's also become apparent that Stockart.com is combing the internet to find other 'perpetrators' out there. They are currently offering a 10% bounty for anyone that turns in a designer or firm using their artwork illegally. I can understand that issue, as it tears at the meager profits that designers in our industry are making, but this situation is a witch hunt and unfortunately, everyone involved will be deeply affected.
In the wake of the head-spinning greedy totals you hear about in the media with our crumbling economy, $18,000 doesn't sound like much. But, to a small business owner, this can be a costly and devastating blow to both your business and your reputation. I would encourage you to make a contribution to Jon's legal fund, should you be so inclined.