Copyright for Artists
Wednesday December 24, 2008
Copyright is an absolute minefield these days, so if there's any chance that you're going to sell or exhibit your work, either in a bricks and mortar gallery or online, you need to be careful that you don't infringe copyright. It occurred to me that a timely reminder might be appropriate, since I got a beautiful calendar for Christmas with pictures of England. I'd love to do some drawing from the photos, but since I couldn't show you without breaching copyright (unless I wanted to take the time to write and get permission from the photographer), I'll use an alternative resource. I have some relatives in the UK, so I'll ask them to send me some scenic photos that I can use. You can find a good selection of free stock photography at Stock Exchange. I prefer to use paid stock photography where possible - it's hard enough for photographers to make a living without being expected to give their work away for free! Try iStockphoto.
Don't make the mistake of believing the many 'urban myths' that about about copyright. Take a look at my article on copyright for artists, which covers the use of source materials and protection of your own work. Also don't miss Painting guide Marion Boddy-Evan's excellent Copyright FAQ, which answers important questions in an easy-to-follow FAQ format.
Comments
Also, do not be fooled by the royalty free line you will see on some sites.
Royalty free does not mean anyone can use it.
Surprisingly, while you can for some reasons, if you read the fine print, you cannot for artwork that will be shown or sold, as the American Watercolor Society found out this past year, when it was sued by a photograher, who claimed winning artwork was a copyright infringment!