In class, we spoke on ethical issues such as copyright. As an artist, we would like to protect our own creations, but how and what is actually protected? Learning about the infringement copyright case between Comic Mix and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, brought a lot of questions as to what protection is usually provided for artists. In this court case, Comic Mix published a book “Of the Places You Will Boldy Go!” as a parody derived from Dr. Seuss’ book “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” Below are images from both books and you can determine how similarly they resemble each other. In my opinion, I believe that beyond being able to use the same techniques, they did go ahead and mimic the same art results. So, I do agree with the statement that copyright infringement did occur.
This is what I mean by, do you know what is protected in the artworks you create? I read an article by design Week called “6 Things Designers Should Know about Copyright” and it helped me better understand how I can avoid copyright because the last thing I would like to do is be in the middle of a legal matter.
These were a couple of my favorite takeaways. First, by being the author and creator of your artwork, you are automatically provided a copyright for each creation. Copyright lasts a long time and you would have to wait over 70 years after the individual has passed before you are able to legally use it again. I am sure we have seen someone else use someone else’s art on occasions where the creator is being paid for it in some agreed way. This is very important if you are working for a client. You want to make sure that all sides of the possible infringements and licenses are covered before it goes out into the world.
Lastly, my favorite was knowing what is actually protected! You may think everything about your artwork would be protected but it is only the piece you make that is. This means that others can use the techniques such as elements in your visual language, materials, or colors you used in their artwork. This appears to be a fine line because it could potentially appear that someone is stealing your style.
