JOYENGINE: cause sharing is cool

I really hate to see this sort of thing, and I take no pleasure in singling anyone out. But prominent artists I admire very much seem to be getting sloppy and calling their hard work into question lately. Let this be a lesson to young artists that “homage” or “borrowing” (or whatever you call it once you’re caught) can and will be found out. It’s a small world after all.

Having worked in the t-shirt industry I can tell you that stealing is the norm there. Property is lifted and slapped on a new tee with a single click of the mouse. Ideas are taken, slightly changed, and repackaged in seconds. This mentality suits the cutthroat, anonymous, quick-turn t-shirt industry, but seems far more indefensible in the art realm. Artists work so hard to build their names and careers, it’s really unfortunate when we’re forced to put their accomplishments under scrutiny, or when others use their property to prop up their own lack of skill.

I considered not posting about this, but opening up dialogue on the subject is better than saying nothing. Tracers should be afraid of damage to their perhaps undeserved reputations as well. There needs to be more awareness of this growing problem, as google and livetrace continue to turn any asshole with a computer into an “artist”. Where’s the line? How do we change this mentality and educate people? Can anything even be done? I’d like to know.

I just read something of a horror story for any designer or artist-type. Designer Jon Engle is being sued by a stock art company for use of his own imagery. Apparently someone ripped off his work and sold it to a stock company, now they’re suing him for the arbitrary sum of $18,000.00. To make matters worse, they’ve hired a law firm specializing in copyright infringement, and are contacting his clients in some kind of effort to slander his name and business. Granted, I don’t know Jon outside of this story, but a simple glance at his level of design work compared to that of the stock firm in question is telling. Read all about it HERE.

This seems like a great opportunity to inform young artists and designers, NEVER work with these companies. Selling your work to a stock art company may seem like a quick way to make a buck, but trust me, you only help to devalue the blood, sweat and tears of other artists in the process. I see too many people out there that have no idea what a creative’s time is worth, and even more uneducated artists out there to oblige them. A deep understanding of artist’s rights and responsibilities are absolutely essential to being a professional creative, so if you’re foggy on these subjects please educate yourself. Some good places to start:

GRAPHIC ARTIST’S GUILD
AIGA: Standards of Professional Practice

I was attempting to catch up on some reading yesterday, making a bee line for Fareed Zakaria’s article in a recent copy of Newsweek. Opening the magazine to the obnoxious subscription card bonanza in the center, I uncovered a political illustration by Victor Juhasz that caught my eye. Upon closer inspection, I could have sworn that the defaced poster of Barack Obama was that of local designer/artist/blogger Christopher Cox. Heading straight to changethethought, I discovered that it was in fact Chris’s image. After contacting Mr. Cox, it is now apparent that his permission was never sought, nor was credit given. You can read his thoughts on the matter HERE.

It’s unclear who’s to blame for this, but either Victor Juhasz or some misinformed designer at Newsweek is about to get a baptism by fire in copyright law. Below is the Newsweek spread, followed by Chris’s original image. It really makes you wonder how often people get away with this sort of thing. Boooooooooo.

I received a rather alarming email from the good people at conceptart.org this morning. It appears that legislation regarding artist’s image rights is being rushed through congress, and it appears to lay the groundwork for artists losing the rights to the very images they create. Please read all of this and click the links to contact your state representatives (it literally takes minutes and has been done for you) and email this story to everyone you know below!

According to the ORPHAN WORKS ACT (which will be written in the House at 2:00 today, and in the Senate tomorrow), “orphan work” is copyrighted work whose owner is unable to be located with what the infringer himself decides as “reasonably diligent search.” In a radical departure from existing copyright law and business practice, the U.S. Copyright Office has proposed that Congress grant such infringers freedom to ignore the rights of the artist and use the work for any purpose, including commercial usage.

Essentially, this will mean artists will be responsible for paying to register their images in a system that is untested, time-consuming and redundant, costing them hard-earned money and time to legally retain the rights to images THEY ALREADY OWN. A website has been created that allows us to easily contact representatives, and tell them to vote this down! Please, if you value art and the people who create it (you’re HERE so I know that you do!!!) then take a minute and help put those assholes in Washington in their place.

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

This link has all your information on what this bill will mean to artists, and how to contact congress and see this changed. Things like this happen every day people, and democracy doesn’t work if we don’t participate. Don’t let this bill weaken our artists’ rights!

contact Senate Judiciary Committee:
http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11349191

contact House Judiciary Committee:
http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11349111