1a. Ethics can be applicable in our day-to-day activities, but also in the design world. A code of conduct of what’s right and wrong should be considered when you are a designer to eliminate any unethical practices that can lead to false accusations and distrust within yourself or the company.
At the internship, the images that are placed on their website are sourced free of copywrites and as for their trademark and logo, they have full ownership to use on their platforms. As for the project I am working on, we are entitled to write our own copy for marketing purposes for the sweep steaks with our own graphic design work. There are no guidelines on which sources we want to use which can be text with graphic design work or simply actual videos that are made. Keep in mind we can not use other designers’ work and if we do choose to use free Copywrite stock images we need to give them credit for the image that was used. We have a range of sourcing we can use to market the sweepstake which makes it easier as a designer to adhere to the ethical rights of copywriting from the AIGA Design Guide.
The Rogers vs Koons case
The Rogers vs Koons case is an example of the importance of copyright and design accountability. Jeff Koons was accused of copyright infringement for using a photograph taken by Art Rogers to create statues without properly crediting or compensating Rogers. Koons argued that his use of the photograph was protected under the doctrine of “Fair Use by Parody,” but the court ruled against him and ordered him to pay a settlement to Rogers.
I agree with the court’s decision. Koons’ use of the photograph was clearly for his own financial benefit and he did not properly credit or compensate the original photographer. This type of behavior is a violation of copyright law and it is important that artists are held accountable for such actions. The doctrine of “Fair Use by Parody” is not a blanket defense for copyright infringement and must meet certain criteria, including being transformative in nature and not being used for commercial gain. In the case of Koons and Rogers, it seems that Koons’ use of the photograph did not meet these criteria.
1b. Overall this internship was a new experience that delve into marketing strategies and building social media communications. As the internship went along, I have not signed any non-closure agreement for my internship. However, I am using the organization’s Gmail Suite that was given to me at the beginning. In doing so we keep all our files and documents shared on the drive on the Google platform. By using the organization’s logo and copywrites, I personally would not use any content that I had made elsewhere.
