Understanding the Copyright Problem

[Jennifer]

Hi everyone. I know, you are groaning, thinking "Oh no not another one of these threads!"

I'm not here to yell at anyone or make anyone feel bad or anything silly like that. I've simply been reading and I've seen a lot of misconceptions about copyright and what it means to infringe upon it. I invite you to read on if you want to try and understand it better in normal terms and get an idea of why the artists are acting the way they are. This is food for thought- I am not flinging accusations or saying anyone is a jerk. Just please think about what I'm saying. :)

Most of you probably don't know much about copyright. That's cool- no one is expected to know everything. But when you start mucking around with creating things and sticking a copyright notice on it, you should at least know the basics. We all start somewhere, may as well start here!

I am not a lawyer but I will say that I've had to deal with copyright infringement in a very real way in a very real lawsuit situation. I do not claim to be an expert but I am a professional (meaning only that I earn my income solely from my artwork) and so I am well versed in copyrights.

I'm not going to go over every aspect of copyright, just the reoccurring ones that seem to be coming up here:

- [b]It is illegal to use an image without permission even if you credit the artist. Even if you are not making a dime.[/b] If you are using that image without permission from whomever owns the copyright on it, you are infringing on the copyright. Sometimes the artist cares, sometimes not. Regardless if they care or not, regardless if you care or not, at least know that it is technically illegal, so don't be too surprised if you eventually get nipped in the bud for it.
((Source: http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#wci [size=x-small] In particular, the following: Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:

*

[b]To reproduce the work in copies[/b] or phonorecords;
*

[b]To prepare derivative works based upon the work;[/b]
*

[b]To distribute copies[/b] or phonorecords [b]of the work to the public[/b] by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
...
[b]It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the owner of copyright.[/b][/size]
Further, it's against the Terms of Service of nearly ANY website you might use to repost work for which you do not have permission for. Read the Terms of Service (ToS) at any site you sign up for, including this one. It states clearly that using works that don't belong to you are against the rules.))




- [b]If someone puts something on the internet, it's not okay to take it.[/b] Yes, the internet is a cesspool of sharing illegal content. Does that make it okay? If an artist posts art online, are they 'asking' for it to be taken? If you see a pretty girl on the street, is she 'asking' for you to hit on her? If you see a bike without a bike lock on it, it is 'asking' to be stolen? "I TAKE WHAT I WANT" sounds like a 4 year old having a temper tantrum. These things do happen all the time, yes. And they suck. But it doesn't make them okay. Many artist post their work up not only to share, but some post it to advertise, etc. And it's not cool to assume that because it's on the internet that the artist themselves put it there- for example, there are hundreds of my images posted on Photobucket. Guess what? I didn't put a single one of them there.. other people did (without my permission). So how is it fair to say that I asked for it when I didn't even put them there?
((Sources: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-digital.html#p2p
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/hr2265.html[size=small]Note: While this was written for places protecting things such as software, music, books, etc- this does apply to visual art and we are starting to see cases in court pertaining to visual art... [/size][size=x-small][b]"Uploading or downloading works protected by copyright without the authority of the copyright owner is an infringement of the copyright owner's exclusive rights of reproduction and/or distribution. [/b]Anyone found to have infringed a copyrighted work may be liable for statutory damages up to $30,000 for each work infringed and, if willful infringement is proven by the copyright owner, that amount may be increased up to $150,000 for each work infringed. In addition, an infringer of a work may also be liable for the attorney's fees incurred by the copyright owner to enforce his or her rights. "[/size] http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/ [size=x-small]"Just because information is on the Internet does not mean it’s “free” to take and steal. Information, images, graphics, designs, and photographs, all are protected under copyright laws and are known as intellectual property. While it is nice to think that everything on the Internet is or should be free, for the most part it is. It is free to read, look at, wonder about, and even write about. It is not free to steal, make money from it, or use it as your own."[/size]))

- [b]Asking for permission is not an inconvenience. It is a requirement. [/b]I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. Waiting a day or two for a reply from an artist is not life and death. If you are checking out in a store for something you are buying, and the cashier takes too long, do you just take the item and run with it? I hope not. :( Saying that getting permission takes too long/is too much of a hassle is not a valid argument. That'd be like my saying "taking the time to ask so-and-so politely if they'd take down my art is too much of a hassle, I'll just report them to their ISP and get them banned." Dude... that would suck. It's not cool and it's rude. Be courteous, and respectful. Be patient enough to ask permission before you cut and run.
((Source: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html#sued [size=x-small]"[b]If you use a copyrighted work without authorization, the owner may be entitled to bring an infringement action against you.[/b] There are circumstances under the fair use doctrine where a quote or a sample may be used without permission. However, in cases of doubt, the Copyright Office recommends that permission be obtained."[/size]))

- [b]Saying "I did not make this artwork" or "This art is not mine, I do not claim to have made it" doesn't make it legal. [/b]
Please let me give you an analogy.

John has a bike (art). His bike has a lock on it (copyright).
You see the bike outside and like it. You don't ask John's permission but you want to use it. You disregard and break the lock and take the bike.
You don't plan on selling the bike... you just want to use it. When someone tells you that they like your bike, you say "I don't take credit, this is John's bike."

Is the above acceptable? Neither is using art without permission. If John says "heck yeah you can borrow my bike, dude" then woot! Go for it. But if you don't ask John... it's considered stealing. Even if you don't plan on selling it. Even if you say "Hey this isn't mine!"... you still took it without permission.
((Source: see above links, also: http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/stopping-internet-plagiarism/your-copyrights-online/1-what-is-a-copyright/
" [size=x-small]The ownership that copyright law grants comes with several rights that you, as the owner, have exclusively. Those rights include:

* The right to reproduce the work
* to prepare derivative works
* to distribute copies
* to perform the work
* and to display the work publicly

These are your rights and your rights alone. Unless you willingly give them up (EX: A Creative Commons License), no one can violate them legally. This means that, unless you say otherwise, no one can perform a piece written by you or make copies of it, even with attribution, unless you give the OK.

Inversely, if you’re looking for material to use or reuse, you should not do any of these things without either asking permission or confirming that the work is in the public domain, which means that the copyright has expired and all of the above rights have been forfeited. Simply put, if the work isn’t in the public domain and you don’t have permission to use a piece, you put yourself in risk of legal action, regardless of your intentions.[/size]"))

- [b]Taking art without permission isn't life and death. But it can be someone's livelihood. [/b] I don't know how many of you have jobs yet. But for those that do, you probably work pretty hard to earn your paycheck. Imagine you are working hard for what you earn. Then, your coworkers start taking credit for what you do. They don't make any money off of it, but they take credit for it. Word gets around... "hey guys did you see what so-and-so made?" "Yeah that's pretty sweet", and so on. Eventually word gets around to your boss, and even though the people that are taking credit for your work are not getting any extra money, the boss starts cutting your paychecks to reflect that he thinks you are doing less work. Suddenly the fact that other people are taking credit for what you are doing is costing you money that you should be earning for your bills and food. That sucks, yeah?
((Sources: http://news.deviantart.com/article/37100/ , http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2008/01/15/artists-express-concern-over-photobucket/ http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/ And, ask any pro artist that has had their stuff stolen- it's a trickle-down effect.))

Well, and I know this sounds silly, but for some professional artists, the same sort of fallout happens when other people use their work without permission. Some artists make all of their income (to pay for things like groceries and rent!) off of their artwork.


Just food for thought, okay? And guys, I know it totally sucks to have an artist say "Hey, that's not cool, please take down the cards with my art on it". I know it took you time to make that card. But think how much time it took the artist to draw the artwork you used.

Edited to add sources.

[casaditymaker]

Thanks a lot Jennifer!

[Junk Raver]

Thank you for being polite and writing this immensly nice thread ^_^

 

I am sure people will take note upon it ^_^

 

 

Just as a long shot, but your not Jocarra are you? ^_^

[The Slime Lord]

Very enlightening. I barely make cards anymore, but the next time I make a card, I will definitely ask the artist if I can use their art. ;-)

[SebastiaanZ]

don't post four times in a row, you are going for another neg rep if you don't look out. And you are spamming the thread. Watch out.

 

Thanks Jennifer, most of it I already knew, but it is always great to read it again.

[zachy_syko]

This is all very true. Thank you for not acting uncivilized like some other artists who come on here, and for giving a valid point :)

[God of Cadillacs]

Thanks Jennifer for the information. I'll make sure I get the artist permission before using their picture.

 

 

don't post four times in a row' date=' you are going for another neg rep if you don't look out. And you are spamming the thread. Watch out.

 

Thanks Jennifer, most of it I already knew, but it is always great to read it again.

[/quote']

 

I hope q2r5o900 gets banned. He's spammed numerous amounts of times and it shouldn't be tolerated. And he's using offensive language plus he has -32 reps. So a ban is certain.

[Shaco]

don't post four times in a row' date=' you are going for another neg rep if you don't look out. And you are spamming the thread. Watch out.

 

Thanks Jennifer, most of it I already knew, but it is always great to read it again.

[/quote']

 

I hope he gets banned. We don't tolerate that stuff on here.

 

 

Lol

 

 

 

Also, I don't think your examples are quite accurate (talking to Jennifer)

 

About the bike stealing one.

That would be a great example, if the original art was gone, but it isn't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvp-kZeoWW0

*whisper* I'm the creepy Janitor

 

(I feel like Carrot Top with all these props)

[Cyber Altair]

thanks for posting in an polite manner and we understand what you mean and we respect your request and we will do what you want us to it's just that some people are too arogant to do so, so dont judge us by the action of some few immature children.

[Shaco]

thanks for posting in an polite manner and we understand what you mean and we respect your request and we will do what you want us to it's just that some people are too arrogant to do so' date=' so don't judge us by the action of some few immature children.

[/quote']

 

Agreed, some people just can't understand the simple concept of copyright laws. >.>

[Cyber Altair]

thanks for posting in an polite manner and we understand what you mean and we respect your request and we will do what you want us to it's just that some people are too arrogant to do so' date=' so don't judge us by the action of some few immature children.

[/quote']

 

Agreed, some people just can't understand the simple concept of copyright laws. >.>

 

or they just wont obey it.

[Kocrow17]

Posts Deleted. q2r5o900 BANNED.

 

Yes, I know that you HAVE to ask permission, but you can't expect all the members to just start out of no where. We are currently trying to ease the forum populus into the idea. It may take a while, be we are going to eventually reach the point of requesting art.

 

Thanks for creating an enlightening thread rather than harrasing members. Can I interest you in a position in the "YCM and DA United Peace Organization" (in the Clubs & Organizations Section) as a DA representative?

[Jennifer]

Dj-Osiris, no I am not Jocarra. :) I'm afraid I do not know who that might be. I am just an observer that hoped to help in understanding about copyright and why many artists are so 'uptight' about it. Sadly a lot of artists approach this rudely without really explaining calmly why it is so much of a problem for them.

 

I know that not everyone will follow copyright rules, and that not everyone cares. It's very sad, but there will always be people out there like that I know. I do not judge a group by all its members- one can only judge individuals and most of you seem very nice and understanding. :)

 

I'm sorry the bike example isn't perfect- it's true that the original isn't stolen in an irreplaceable way. But for digital artists where there is no original, it becomes more important to protect the copies of the work, if that makes sense. :)

 

I just hope those that chose to break the rules time and time again, knowingly, realize that someday they will get caught, especially if they do not respect it if an artist asks them to discontinue using their work. There are groups out there far less polite than I am and I have known companies like Wizards of the Coast (that own Dungeons & Dragons, and MTG, etc) that have really come down on copyright infringement. They won't necessarily sue, but they can shut down websites, and in really bad cases they can track your IP and have your internet service provider cut your internet off. Internet service providers have a terms of service stating that you may not use their service to do illegal things online, and if they get complaints about this sort of thing, they can and will turn your internet off. This happened to my cousin who wouldn't listen to my warnings and kept sharing illegal MP3s online. It sucks but that's why the laws are there. :(

[Jennifer]

Posts Deleted. q2r5o900 BANNED.

 

Yes' date=' I know that you HAVE to ask permission, but you can't expect all the members to just start out of no where. We are currently trying to ease the forum populus into the idea. It may take a while, be we are going to eventually reach the point of requesting art.

 

Thanks for creating an enlightening thread rather than harrasing members. Can I interest you in a position in the "YCM and DA United Peace Organization" (in the Clubs & Organizations Section) as a DA representative?

[/quote']

 

Oh I do understand this won't happen "Cold Turkey" and that most of the members here genuinely didn't know this was a problem. I only hoped to create some understanding of why it's a problem at all. :)

 

I also understand how you feel. I am an administrator and moderator for a forum myself (though with far less members that this forum has). It's hard to ask everyone to follow a new set of imposing rules.

 

I am not actually from Deviantart. I received an email about this- this board of yours is becoming quickly well known in the artist's circles online, trust me. ;) But I do have a DA gallery and if I could be of assistance in helping I would not mind.

[Alordzynix]

if you see a bike without a bike lock on it' date=' it is 'asking' to be stolen?[/quote']

Yes.

Lately I'm giving credit but I'm almust sure that alot of artists on DA won't allow there pictures to be used so thats why I just used them with out asking permission.

[arpeejajo]

This is cool to know. I have been making cards for a while now (but not lately) and have never asked to use pics. Thanks to you, I know and I will start asking.

[Jocarra]

Hey Jennifer, good to see your thread is going well. Also, while I suspected many of the items you said, I didn't know some of them were actual part of copyright laws.

 

Out of interest, and partly stemming from being a science student that gets nabbed for not citing sources, would you be able to cite any clauses or anything to back up the laws?

 

While I admit to not having read all of or even much of the content, these are the resources that I know that are of relevance.

 

R.I.G.H.T.S. - http://www.rightsforartists.com/

U.S. Copyright Office - http://www.copyright.gov/

 

Also, of some relevance are technical policies on popular image hosting sites...

 

"You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for all Content you submit to the Site or provide to the Service. You represent that you either own the User Content or have the rights necessary..." - PHOTOBUCKET - http://photobucket.com/terms

 

"You agree to not use the Service to: upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights ("Rights") of any party;" - FLICKR - http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/details.html

 

"It is Yahoo!’s policy, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, to disable and/or terminate the accounts of users who may infringe or repeatedly infringe the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of Yahoo! and/or others." - FLICKR - http://info.yahoo.com/copyright/details.html

 

I post this because many people use Photobucket and Flickr improperly, and without knowing it. The reason why it is against the rules to upload images that are not your own is because these sites offer a print services - that means, if you post ArtistJoe's work, and someone buys a print off of it, and you make money off of it, you have just broken the law.

 

Some artists do not mind if you use their work, provided you make no money from it, regardless of what official copyright laws may be. But when it comes to making money off of someone else's work, it IS illegal and most definitely against copyright, and it IS something that you can get sued for.

 

There is a petition I know of to change Photobucket's policies to protect artists from having their work stolen, which would also protect unknowing users just wanting to share cool pictures from breaking the law without realising it. If you are interested and are an artist, or know any artists who may want to sign, click here.

 

if you see a bike without a bike lock on it' date=' it is 'asking' to be stolen?[/quote']

Yes.

Lately I'm giving credit but I'm almust sure that alot of artists on DA won't allow there pictures to be used so thats why I just used them with out asking permission.

 

It's a little beside the point whether or not something is asking to be stolen, or abused, or whatever the example is. What the real issue is: is this behaviour justified and correct? A very kind, agreeable person may be "asking" to be taken advantage of, but it does not make it appropriate or justified to do so - that is, saying something is "asking for it" will never hold up in court.

 

A rule is a rule. Of course, it sometimes seems like one should take advantage of something, if only to teach them a lesson, but it still doesn't change the fact that you are breaking the rule, whether the rule is an official government law, a website term of service, a posting rule for a forum, or an unwritten social code of conduct that keeps people from tearing each other apart.

 

I can definitely understand your feelings, in that, as a visual artist, sometimes I need things to draw from. Things like photographs, which are also protected by copyright. Sometimes I don't want to wait a week, because I have an assignment due, or someone's birthday is coming up. But that still doesn't make it okay - "sheet happens" in life and being inconvenienced is part of it.

 

I guess the question to ask is this: a Yu-Gi-Oh card designer sees your cards and thinks, "Hey, those are great and should be made into real cards. Hmm, I'd ask the guy, but he's probably just some kid, so I think I'll just take them anyway. Also, he must not care about his work if he's posting it on the internet, so it's okay if I take them." He then steals your cards exactly, plus or minus a word or two, and then he and the company profits from it. You receive no credit, and no money.

 

You might think, "Yeah, I guess I should have been more careful," but does that deny the fact that you're likely annoyed, upset, and/or angry? Does it deny the fact that what he did was wrong, unlawful, unfair, and disrespectful?

 

Just ask, for starters. Also, as far as my understanding goes, it's now a requirement of the new rules to, at the very least, give credit. You can avoid having artists telling you to remove the work (which is now permitted in the new rules) by asking first, which makes a huge difference.

[Junk Raver]

Hey Jocarra ^_^

 

Im glad to know Kaze did unban your account ^_^ (as i told him to)

 

Very good information you posted, im sure it will help members from here ^_^

[Guest Supreme Gamesmaster]

The catch is, if the card making process is slowed down by the whole dA stuff, the forum will eventually grind to a halt. Plus, it's not actually possible to remain wholly within the law: the actual law of copyright states that, permission or no permission, you have to pay cash in order to use copyrighted material. Which basically means that, if dA members want use of their images to be legal, traffic will be cut in half, and half the Internet, including this little forum that was unfortunate enough to be caught in the act of using them, will vanish. If you look around, we aren't the only ones. "Stolen" dA images are everywhere.

 

To be honest, no matter how nice these threads are, I'm sick to death of them. I used to regularly work for weeks to produce little tiny pictures you use in video games. I'm starting up again for a game I'm making. When I air these little crapballs online, I expect people to try and use them. I don't ask them to ask me to use every single little picture. To do so would be ludicrous, and a hassle to everyone. I don't see why everyone on dA is reacting this way.

 

And for your card thing, getting our cards "stolen" would be an honor.

[Tiberas]

If you ask for permission, you don't have to pay royalty fees unless you are using the picture for profit.

 

And not everyone likes yugioh, or yugioh cards kthx. It's kind of arrogant to think it's such an 'honor' for one to have their picture used for anything.

 

It is very possible to abide by the laws. Even so, because of all the whining, God Kaze and us DAers have come up with the rule to put disclaimers on your cards at the very least and give credit.

 

We realize there's a lot more places that steal artwork, but that doesn't mean a forum like this and its members should be able to steal artwork. You get these pictures to look at for FREE, so don't COMPLAIN when artists don't want you to use their art without permission. It is their RIGHT and you have no right in infringe on it.

 

So suck it up, give credit and ask.

 

 

Also, please read the previous threads and actually pay attention to the stuff said.

[Jocarra]

And for your card thing' date=' getting our cards "stolen" would be an [i']honor[/i].

 

Again, it may be an honour for you, but it's not for everyone. Again, just because a beautiful woman was raped because she was irresistably gorgeous doesn't make it an honour to be raped.

 

That's cool you like to share your work with others. You just have to know and respect that others want you to ask first, and that it is law, both under international copyright laws, and under the new YCM rules.

 

So, unfortunately, you have to be considerate, whether it inconveniences you or not, as repeated use without permission/credit is now a bannable offense.

[Jennifer]

Hey Jennifer' date=' good to see your thread is going well. Also, while I suspected many of the items you said, I didn't know some of them were actual part of copyright laws.

 

Out of interest, and partly stemming from being a science student that gets nabbed for not citing sources, would you be able to cite any clauses or anything to back up the laws?[/quote']

 

Sure! What specifically would you like me to site? Most of that is with my own experience. I work for a company that has to enforce its legal copyrights often, and there is a lot of this that is still a 'grey' area in court.

 

The catch is' date=' if the card making process is slowed down by the whole dA stuff, the forum will eventually grind to a halt. Plus, it's not actually possible to remain wholly within the law: the actual law of copyright states that, permission or no permission, you have to pay cash in order to use copyrighted material.

[/quote']

 

I rather doubt it! With some of the new ideas that members have (such as having a list of artists that are cool with using your work) you can continue to make cards quickly and still be following the rules. There are hundreds of communities out there that make website graphics and signatures that do so completely legally with artist's permission. Their forums don't grind to a halt :)

 

Can you show me what copyright law states that you must pay for use of copyrighted material? If this is true several professional publications owe me some cash. ;) Seriously though- no. You only need to pay if you intend on purchasing the rights to copyrighted material. An artist can grant permission for use without selling the rights to the image. :)

[Jocarra]

Sure! What specifically would you like me to site?

 

I just meant, it'd be helpful for each bolded "rule" you've outlined to include official citations of where it's covered in actual copyright law. Like referring to a clause in a website's terms of service, including the URL and where I got the quote from.

 

It's not really required, but I think it definitely makes for a more solid argument. "According to copyright, you can't do this. Here's exactly where it says it: (quote and citation)" It's so people can look up and verify that what you're saying is correct.

 

It's not that I'm doubting you or anything. I'm just curious as to the actual official laws. It can be difficult to sort through legal stuff, as I'm sure we all know, and it helps to have key bits pointed out.

[Shadow Dude64]

ITs very helpful!

[NP Sage]

Hi everyone. I know' date=' you are groaning, thinking "Oh no not another one of these threads!"

 

I'm not here to yell at anyone or make anyone feel bad or anything silly like that. I've simply been reading and I've seen a lot of misconceptions about copyright and what it means to infringe upon it. I invite you to read on if you want to try and understand it better in normal terms and get an idea of why the artists are acting the way they are. This is food for thought- I am not flinging accusations or saying anyone is a jerk. Just please think about what I'm saying. :)

 

Most of you probably don't know much about copyright. That's cool- no one is expected to know everything. But when you start mucking around with creating things and sticking a copyright notice on it, you should at least know the basics. We all start somewhere, may as well start here!

 

I am not a lawyer but I will say that I've had to deal with copyright infringement in a very real way in a very real lawsuit situation. I do not claim to be an expert but I am a professional (meaning only that I earn my income solely from my artwork) and so I am well versed in copyrights.

 

I'm not going to go over every aspect of copyright, just the reoccurring ones that seem to be coming up here:

 

- [b']It is illegal to use an image without permission even if you credit the artist. Even if you are not making a dime.[/b] If you are using that image without permission from whomever owns the copyright on it, you are infringing on the copyright. Sometimes the artist cares, sometimes not. Regardless if they care or not, regardless if you care or not, at least know that it is technically illegal, so don't be too surprised if you eventually get nipped in the bud for it.

Thankfully most people have the common since not to use real names. So good hunting. Sure IPs work but no judge is going to take the time. Eventually people will have to common since to watermark things. And so you know by the time the law catches up the criminals have moved on.

 

- If someone puts something on the internet, it's not okay to take it. Yes, the internet is a cesspool of sharing illegal content. Does that make it okay? If an artist posts art online, are they 'asking' for it to be taken? If you see a pretty girl on the street, is she 'asking' for you to hit on her? If you see a bike without a bike lock on it, it is 'asking' to be stolen? "I TAKE WHAT I WANT" sounds like a 4 year old having a temper tantrum. These things do happen all the time, yes. And they suck. But it doesn't make them okay. Many artist post their work up not only to share, but some post it to advertise, etc. And it's not cool to assume that because it's on the internet that the artist themselves put it there- for example, there are hundreds of my images posted on Photobucket. Guess what? I didn't put a single one of them there.. other people did (without my permission). So how is it fair to say that I asked for it when I didn't even put them there?

This is where common sense comes in. If you don't want it taken watermark it. If you don't want your bike taken lock it. If you don't want hit on don't lead people on. How is it fair you didn't watermark it.

Thats your own fault.

 

- Asking for permission is not an inconvenience. It is a requirement. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true. Waiting a day or two for a reply from an artist is not life and death. If you are checking out in a store for something you are buying, and the cashier takes too long, do you just take the item and run with it? I hope not. :( Saying that getting permission takes too long/is too much of a hassle is not a valid argument. That'd be like my saying "taking the time to ask so-and-so politely if they'd take down my art is too much of a hassle, I'll just report them to their ISP and get them banned." Dude... that would suck. It's not cool and it's rude. Be courteous, and respectful. Be patient enough to ask permission before you cut and run.

LOL you think the ISP will care? unless you have a lawyer on the phone and actually have something worth doing, they won't care. Allow me to explain. Some moron is dumb enough to post their art on the web and not watermark it. see it go copied. Calls ISP *sob my art was stolen do something. Hm make a paying customer mad and lose business or ignore the moron? What do think the result will be?

 

- Saying "I did not make this artwork" or "This art is not mine, I do not claim to have made it" doesn't make it legal.

Please let me give you an analogy.

 

John has a bike (art). His bike has a lock on it (copyright).

You see the bike outside and like it. You don't ask John's permission but you want to use it. You disregard and break the lock and take the bike.

You don't plan on selling the bike... you just want to use it. When someone tells you that they like your bike, you say "I don't take credit, this is John's bike."

 

Is the above acceptable? Neither is using art without permission. If John says "heck yeah you can borrow my bike, dude" then woot! Go for it. But if you don't ask John... it's considered stealing. Even if you don't plan on selling it. Even if you say "Hey this isn't mine!"... you still took it without permission.

John had the common sense to use a lock. (watermark) If you break through then your in the wrong. If little johnny didn't use a lock maybe getting the bike stolen will teach john a lesson about life. I'm fed up with morons getting sympathy If you screw up take the fall don't blame other people.

 

- Taking art without permission isn't life and death. But it can be someone's livelihood. I don't know how many of you have jobs yet. But for those that do, you probably work pretty hard to earn your paycheck. Imagine you are working hard for what you earn. Then, your coworkers start taking credit for what you do. They don't make any money off of it, but they take credit for it. Word gets around... "hey guys did you see what so-and-so made?" "Yeah that's pretty sweet", and so on. Eventually word gets around to your boss, and even though the people that are taking credit for your work are not getting any extra money, the boss starts cutting your paychecks to reflect that he thinks you are doing less work. Suddenly the fact that other people are taking credit for what you are doing is costing you money that you should be earning for your bills and food. That sucks, yeah?

 

Hey you let your work be taken. Your mistake. If you can't feed yourself, you die and thus fewer stupid genes get passed down. This is a good thing.

 

Well, and I know this sounds silly, but for some professional artists, the same sort of fallout happens when other people use their work without permission. Some artists make all of their income (to pay for things like groceries and rent!) off of their artwork.

 

 

Just food for thought, okay? And guys, I know it totally sucks to have an artist say "Hey, that's not cool, please take down the cards with my art on it". I know it took you time to make that card. But think how much time it took the artist to draw the artwork you used.

Then maybe they shouldn't digitize their art. Keep it RL and don't let pictures be taken.

 

 

BOLD IT ITALICIZED WORDS MINE