Whoever made that laptop case stole that image. Assholes.

it's probably a stock image and they paid for the rights for it. I saw a Tiesto album once and it had the same photo as a book I found later

That really depends on what company made the case. But I hope it's paid for.

Id assume itd have a watermark if it wasnt paid for

Fat chance. I don't even know how to Photoshop or do digital art properly and I can remove a watermark.

No, it's definitely a stock image, and it's roughly a dollar to licence online. They definitely didn't Photoshop out the watermark with the intention of stealing a $1 image for their laptop because the image would be low enough resolution to be grainy for a big object like that. I feel bad for the company for you to automatically villainize it lmaoo so many companies use stock photos, that's why they exist

Feel bad for the company?? Go on redbubble, teespring, society6, zazzle, gumroad, etc. You'll see companies /constantly/ stealing designs and directly taking money from me, or my other artist friends. It is constant and exhausting to fight to have them get removed. Most of the time they won't be taken down. Idk why you're defending these companies so vivaciously when they literally ruin people's livelihoods.

Ok but they aren't

They took a common design used by multiple people, bought it and used it legally on a design. Many many companies do this, if not most. It's the reason why minimalist designs like this exist, to be used for accent designs

1. You don't know that.
2. I'm not specifically talking about this image when when I mention that companies do this.

Anyway, I'm done talking about this.

It must really suck to be this angry all the time I feel bad for you

It does when you have companies stealing your work all the time.

Have an example of your art they stole?

I'm not about to out who I am to someone like you.

To be fair you said you don't dabble in Photoshop or digital art so I'm assuming that nobody has taken your designs and used them on merchandise

I'm a traditional artist. Scans are a thing.
Now leave me alone.