it's really just the nature of the Internet, you post anything unique out here it's bound to be stolen, resold, stolen again, resold again...so it's not just the original owner with copyrights that being duped, it's also the new owner who thinks he/she now owns it since they also paid top dollar...which is very likely the case here...
a word to the wise...if you want something to stay in your possession do not post it on the Internet...
I have many a time right clicked a pic, photoshopped it, printed it on a great color copier, and tucked it away in my personal collection which is where it stays...but it's very easy for an unscrupulous someone to take the next step and offer it for resale as an original on ebay or somewhere else....
I'm sorry for your friend and I'm sorry for all artists be it singer, writer, photographer, computer programmers who try to maintain their copyrights but Internet is still wild so an artistic person must be aware that their work can easily be stolen out here and where it ends up may not necessarily be the guilty party...
a balance must be struck between getting your work noticed and understanding that that very work will probably be stolen...
I love to write poetry and have posted many poems online but I understand that they may be stolen and claimed as "anothers" but I've done this with eyes wide open. Those poems that are truly close to my heart will stay private and those already published well I've been paid at least once!!!
