I recently became aware that some employees of a well-known computer company distribute some of my images among themselves to use as desktop backgrounds at work. I know two of these folks, and have no problem with this useage. It came as a big surprise to hear about this, but I took it as humbling flattery, and now sometimes send images directly to them at work. Not the nudes, LOL. On the other hand, just last week, I posted an image here and to the Poser newsgroup that was intended in a serious and heartfelt context. Someone from another binaries group took the image and reposted it to their group along with their own alteration of it. By the time I'd learned of this, someone else had posted yet another alteration. This was the first time this had happened to me. I was hurt and offended, mostly because of the serious context of the original image. In my protest response, I mentioned copyright, and was met with the common (and wrong) justification that because I'd failed to make a copyright symbol obvious, I'd sacrificed any legal claim to the image. Permission really is the key, isn't it? For just about any other image, I probably would have said "go ahead!" if I'd been asked in advance Excellent point. There are those artists that do not mind their images being used by others..with or without permission, and then there are 'certain' images by that same artist that he/she would rather be asked if it was ok to obtain the image.. Lucy and Geo: I think its great that you dont mind your images to be used for whatever pupose by others..but what if you sold those images for your very livelyhood?.. {some artists do} Would you still not mind someone coming along and taking your paycheck? I also understand publishing contracts in that there is a limited amount of time set forth in the said contract. After that time limit is reached, the contract is either renewed, or that publisher is not allowed to use that artists images. As for copyright, there is no time limit. Also, artists are not 'required' to post copyright warnings with their images, nor any other form of ownership of said image. I still say the best way of staying out of trouble in this instance, is to ask first before assuming an image is free, but to each his/her own. :)

~Jani

Renderosity Community Admin
---------------------------------------