Local Mapart Artist Furious After Copy Protection Prevents Him From Copying His Own Work

Pavia—A Pavian mapart artist said this week that he was “devastated and also confused” after discovering that CivMC’s mapart copy protection, introduced in the Transport Update, now prevents him from making copies of his own paintings.

“I made this,” said the artist, holding up a framed map of a sunset. “I spent eleven hours on it. I placed every block by hand. And now the server looks at me like I’m some kind of forger.”

Copy protection for mapart arrived in February 2024 alongside copper rails, and was widely praised by artists who had seen their work copied and sold without permission. The artist said he supported the change “in principle,” but had not expected to be one of the people it protected his art from.

“I wanted to give a copy to my mum,” he said. “Now if she wants one, she has to commission it from me. I’ve quoted her 12 diamonds. She says that’s too much. We are not currently speaking.”

Gallery owners in Pavia say the policy has transformed the local art scene. “Every piece is now one of a kind,” said one curator. “Which is great for value, and terrible if you knock it off the wall.”

The artist has since begun a new series exploring themes of ownership, creativity and frustration. The first piece, titled “Mine (Not Copyable),” sold within an hour.

At press time, he had been spotted outside his own gallery, pressing his face against the glass.