Learning about copyright and fair use is something I think all designers should do. It’s very important to consider the ethical and legal implications of using someone else’s work in your own projects. Many new designers may use online resources for inspiration or assets and don’t follow the terms. I have always tried to follow and read the terms of use to give credit back to the original creator but this gets way deeper than just giving credit.
I have always used free online assets and would try to read and understand the terms carefully. I often use free stock image platforms for certain school work and I specify that it’s school work if I present it in my portfolio. As designers, we are a community that has to respect everyone’s original work. If we don’t want others to use our work without permission, we shouldn’t be doing that to others.
The Fairey copyright Hope Poster case is an interesting case to look at and learn from. This was a case where designer Shepard Fairey used a photograph of Barack Obama without permission. Fairey had argued that his work was fair use because it was transformative but the court did not accept. My take is that he should have simply just asked the photographer for permission. As simple as that. This case is a great example how important it is to get permission from the original creator when using someone else’s work in yours.
As for me, I always have been wary when using stock images or free assets in my work. Things like free fonts are another case where you want to make sure it’s 100% free for use cause sometimes it might seem free but it’s not 100%. As a designer, you always get inspired by others’ work so giving that credit to them is not only the right thing to do but also a nice thing to do since you appreciate their hard efforts.
