Visual Copyright Article
Visual Copyright Overview
"Copyright means that when you create an original piece of artwork, such as a drawing, painting, photograph, digital illustration, design, collage, etc., you also own the right to copy it"
Visual copyright for artists can be summed up by following short statement: protect your own copyright, and respect the copyright of others. While this sounds simple and straightforward, it is not easy to do if you lack basic knowlege of copyright.
Copyright means that when you create an original piece of artwork, such as a drawing, painting, photograph, digital illustration, design, collage, etc.., you also own the right to copy it. Even if you sell the painting or photograph, you still retain the copyright to your work. The minute you create the artwork, you own the copyright! You do not have to go through legal or official channels to register your copyright for an original work of art you created, although you are free to do this if you want to.
If copyright is that simple, why do so many copyright cases end up in courts? Case law is constantly evolving and changing with the flow of human behaviour and laws are subject to many different interpretations and shades of meaning.
Although it is not necessary for visual artists to become legal experts, they should have a good understanding of their own rights based on the copyright laws of their own country, as well as knowledge of how to respect the copyright of others.
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These pages are for educational purposes only. This site offers a combination of fact, anecdotal information and editorial opinion of the writer, none of which should be construed as legal advice. If you require legal assistance on any aspect of copyright law, please contact a lawyer.