Hello everyone. As you all may have noticed, I’m not one to write long posts and will try to make this one as short as possible. Yesterday Book By its Cover published ‘your copyright questions answered’. This comes as a follow up from ‘a sad story’ also published on BBIC a week or so ago, a very sad story indeed. In fact, every genuine artist’s worst nightmare.
With the advent of the web, which enables us all to showcase, network and ‘share’ our work, I have been inspired by many beautiful things and delighted to interact with those of you who normally leave a comment here, but in my wanderings around the internet, i have also seen a few copyright related offences that raise some questions -inspiration? Or copying? Of course we all have our influences and are inspired by what we love, may it be music, photography, cooking and naturally the work of other artists.
In the end, I believe it boils down to a moral question - are we being true to our own development? There’s no easy route. A true visual artist is constantly experimenting, evolving and that’s the beauty of the process. When I say process, that involves subject research, our senses, what we experience and how we respond to it visually. (outcome)
Although I don’t agree with putting a watermark on every photograph and artwork posted here, (as it’s time consuming and doesn’t do the work any favours) I have now added a clear copyright note on the sidebar in addition to the existing one at the bottom of this blog.
The decision to do so was reinforced by something that has come to my attention recently involving inappropriate use of my work/ or should I say, a slightly modified copy of a piece of my work. I will not be contacting the artist in question, naming names or taking any direct action in this instance as in the ‘copyright world’ it could be passed as a ‘minor’ offence. We are where we are. According to google analytics tiny red has a few thousand visitors, and although I only get to hear from a small, but delightful fraction of you, I’m aware that whatever I post here will reach those quiet thousands too.
So… this is not meant to be a rant and the copyright note on my sidebar is as far as I’ll go to protect my work on the web, as I believe anyone who has a minimum of common sense should get the message.
Let us all continue to enjoy and expand our creative processes, inspire and be inspired whilst respecting the copyright of others and most of all, remaining within the boundaries of common sense.
With the advent of the web, which enables us all to showcase, network and ‘share’ our work, I have been inspired by many beautiful things and delighted to interact with those of you who normally leave a comment here, but in my wanderings around the internet, i have also seen a few copyright related offences that raise some questions -inspiration? Or copying? Of course we all have our influences and are inspired by what we love, may it be music, photography, cooking and naturally the work of other artists.
In the end, I believe it boils down to a moral question - are we being true to our own development? There’s no easy route. A true visual artist is constantly experimenting, evolving and that’s the beauty of the process. When I say process, that involves subject research, our senses, what we experience and how we respond to it visually. (outcome)
Although I don’t agree with putting a watermark on every photograph and artwork posted here, (as it’s time consuming and doesn’t do the work any favours) I have now added a clear copyright note on the sidebar in addition to the existing one at the bottom of this blog.
The decision to do so was reinforced by something that has come to my attention recently involving inappropriate use of my work/ or should I say, a slightly modified copy of a piece of my work. I will not be contacting the artist in question, naming names or taking any direct action in this instance as in the ‘copyright world’ it could be passed as a ‘minor’ offence. We are where we are. According to google analytics tiny red has a few thousand visitors, and although I only get to hear from a small, but delightful fraction of you, I’m aware that whatever I post here will reach those quiet thousands too.
So… this is not meant to be a rant and the copyright note on my sidebar is as far as I’ll go to protect my work on the web, as I believe anyone who has a minimum of common sense should get the message.
Let us all continue to enjoy and expand our creative processes, inspire and be inspired whilst respecting the copyright of others and most of all, remaining within the boundaries of common sense.
Hope to hear your thoughts on this too :)
ps: I created the illustration above whilst thinking about the subject over my lunch break. All the elements are rejects and bits from my moleskines ☺
update /// i've received a couple of requests to use the same, but adjusted, copyright note as mine. you're all welcome to do so. cheers!
22 notes:
fantastically put! I will be adding a link to this post on my own blog - copyright is such an important issue.
x
Well thought out and well written - every word of it. I don't think the message can get out there enough - even if it is simply a reminder to those many honest artists to maintain an active awareness about inspiration crossing the line. We are bombarded with so much online that it's impossible not to block what we see from our minds, but it is possible to use that inspiration wisely and ethically. You nailed it in that third paragraph by asking whether we're being true to our own development. It's one thing to test an element of someone's style as a method of learning, yet quite another to misappropriate something directly and pass it off as one's own.
I try to avoid absorbing others' styles by keeping my creating world separate from my inspiration world. I don't read blogs or books when I'm drawing. I go into a separate space where I can focus
on channeling onto paper only what is going on in my own head. If there are bits and pieces of inspiration from things that have spoken to me from other worlds, they are combined and smooshed with all sorts of other inputs and then processed by my own particular way of seeing the world.
Great piece of writing - thank you! I will link to it in my next post as well.
Hear Hear!
Yes I've been following the whole sordid affair on BBIC too, such a shame that people actually stoop so low (and amazingly actually think they can get away with it!) anyway I agree that it doesn't do to get too paranoid because despite its drawbacks I think the internet is one of the best and most amazing tools for growing as an artist and getting our work 'out there', I guess that the best we can do is to be a vigilant and supportive community of artists and keep an eye out for anything that crosses the line into actual plagiarism..
Hi Thereza, this is a thoughtful post with excellent observations and useful links. thanks for sharing your thoughts with us as well as this gorgeous illustration.
Aimee said it, you nailed it on the third paragraph. it's all about honesty, being true to ourselves and that way we can find our own unique voice. yes, you are right, 'there is NO easy route'
i'm sorry to hear about the incident involving your work but you're doing the right thing by reinforcing, reminding people of such important issues.
thanks again!
K
xoxo
I agree with all you have said and am always amazed actually that people think it is ok to do these things-or have absolutely no morals at all I suppose. I have done a number of online courses where the artist teaching has a particular style and inevitably that is copied at first but then I like to think I go back to being me-I hope so anyway!
I think putting your copyright information for all to see is a good start anyway. Your work is very distinctive and like you say, constantly evolving, and anyone who copied it could only produce a paler version of it-if that is any consolation!
I've deleted some stuff on Flickr as I'm being extra cautious now (and paranoid!!) I figured if people want to see more of my work they can email me :)
So photos of drunken nights out are far more interesting!!! x
what a nightmare trip and also tragic case on the other side
very wise words... i think the fundamental question is exactly how you put it 'are we being true to our own development? '
really got me thinking, how we are so bombarded with all sorts of visual communication and how important it is to maintain one's integrity when producing work. copy is one easy route that many out there obviously choose to take... sad...
thanks for sharing your thoughts here. and i love the illustration, beautiful as usual!
Hi Thereza, i'm one of your 'quiet thousands' as you put it hehehe
you said it all! but it's not about people 'not' getting the message though, the message is clear. if you didn't make it, don't take it!
i just hope those incidents don't put you off showing us your beautiful work.
greetings from Australia
Jason Blake
Very well put Thereza! I'm thinking about starting to be extra cautious as well. Your little copyright formulation on the sidebar is so well formulated - may I copy and adjust it for me? (sounds a bit absurd in this context, right?)
I'LL LINK TO YOU IN MY NEXT POST!
Thereza, extremely well put. I certainly echo your own thoughts and conclusions on the matter. Thank you for writing this post.
p.s. What a lovely impromptu illustration work... rejects no more! :~)
hello guys! thank you so much for your thoughts... what can i say? it's just great to hear from you all.
alexandra: of course you can, dearie! they're sort of standard words. i didn't create them from scratch hehehe
There is a very great difference between being inspired by someone's work to create something 'in the style of' ... and actively copying/using someone's else's work and passing it off as your own.
very well written and important thoughts thereza! I have thought alot about copywrite aswell and I kind of came to the conclusion that I have to belive in my own ability. Even if I get copied I have to continue thinking that no one can do my work the way I can. I think that you have a very clear and "own" way of expressing yourself in your drawing, so I can´t imagine a cpoycat would get nowhere close your work!!
But I will follow your example and put copyright tags on my blog and protfolio, and it´s alos good to use very low resolution when bloging, and if people are intrested to have a closer look or buing something they can email!
thanks for charing:)
great text thereza!
THIS is a great post...nice little fellow looking up ;)
I have to read the copything later...I´m so very behind...this time not with work but blogging...hihi...
hugs
cheers guys! so good to hear your views on the subject :)
SUPER nice of you Thereza... because I was about to ask you earlier...so I think I´ll be very happy to sneak your copytext over to my blog...Thank you so much :)))))
couldn't help but voice my views on this post. you're absolutely right and nicely positive in your approach to the subject. it's all about common sense, really... spechless... such a good write up thereza!
you're ACE!!!!!
I'm reminded of the Oscar Wilde quote that keeps me focused on my own work and my own voice and my own artistic expression: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Thanks for this post. After spending two mindless hours putting silly watermarks on half my work, I may just take your approach instead.
hi there, i am one of those quiet thousands:)
This post touched me deeply, and i admire your stance on the matter. I would dearly love to quit watermarking, but sadly my copyright information has been blatantly ignored, however clearly i state it beneath the images.
So far, my work, even with faint watermarks, has made it onto jewellery, mugs, Ebay and many, many photo sharing sites, where it has further been cut up to create new collages which the 'authors' never credit to me.
A horrible issue, and one that has brought me much unrest as an artist online.
I wish you all the very best with this, we have to try to make a balance between being vigilant and yet remaining content to share.
Lou x
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