Never in a million years would I think ANYTHING I make would get stolen or be even close enough to sell. I was wrong, apparently.
The other day I walked into a store, I won't mention the name because the other day was also it's last day...it was going out of business. But it had been around for a while, and so had the merchandise. Well, this merchandise in question was simple mugs and shirts and things like that. However, something was recognizable about them. I realized after a few minutes that it was my design. Despite the fact that the quote didn't belong to me. Here's the 'design':

[link]

I made it Thursday, April 26th, 2007. It's not a big deal, I honestly don't care. Since I didn't copyright it, and was only using it as an icon at the time. Also, the quote doesn't belong to me. It was simply thrown together for the sake of making an icon. However, it did feel like I was slapped in the face for a minute. And it goes to show that even if you don't think 'your work is good enough' to be stolen, always, ALWAYS be careful. Because something worse than a simple icon could be stolen. Like a photograph, or a drawing you've spent hours on.
Here's some easy, simple tips to prevent art theft-or at least help it:
-Always upload a smaller file-never upload the whole file size unless completely necessary.
-Always back up your work, and know the technical info (this can be found if you right click on the file and go to 'roperties' and will give the date of creation). It's very handy if someone claims they made the picture before you.
-If you think it may be necessary, try to watermark it. Even if you just throw text on there, at least do something.
-It also helps to post a copyright notice-just so everyone is clear that it's YOUR work and that it's NOT OKAY to use it. Or whatever you deem necessary to put in there.
That's all I have to say, for now.