Copyright For Graphic Designers

Copyright for graphic designersCopyright is the legal exclusive right of the author of a creative work to control the copying of the work or the making of works derived from the original. Some examples of creative works are visual works like illustrations, photographs, and graphic designs, written works like books, articles, music and plays, recorded works like music and movies, etc. Here is a link to more information than you'd ever need about copyright: http://www.answers.com/copyright&r=67The copyright owner, and only the copyright owner, controls the right to: Ð'* reproduce the work in copies Ð'* prepare derivative works based upon the work Ð'* distribute copies of the work by sale, rental, lease or lending Ð'* display or perform the work publiclyThe work must be in tangible form, i.e., written or recorded. Ideas or unrecorded speech (like something you say) is not copyrighted.Every creative work is automatically copyrighted the moment it is fixed in tangible form. There is no need to register it. The copyright symbol, year and person owning it may be put on the work, but it doesn't have to be to be protected.The copyright owner owns the copyright for his/her lifetime, and then his estate owns it for 70 years after his death. Generally speaking, works created more than 75 years ago and works created by the government are in the public domain.Scanning and using someone else's images in your work without permission is derivative, and is a copyright infringement in the following ways: Ð'* First, the act of scanning it violates the person's exclusive right to copy it. Ð'* Second, the act of putting it in your work violates the person's exclusive right to make works derived from the original. Ð'* Third, each time your derivative piece is printed or displayed, the person's exclusive right to distribute the work is violated.Just because artwork or photos are on the internet and easy to copy, doesn't mean you can copy and use them without permission.Moral of the story: Ð'* If you want to use someone else's work, no matter how small a piece of it, or how minor it is in your design, get their permission. You may have to pay a royalty. Ð'*