Understanding Copyright Laws: Artwork from the Internet

With designs obtained from the internet, it is often much harder, if not impossible, to know who the copyright holder is. Responsible creators of designs will watermark their designs to notify the viewers that the design is copyrighted.

Copyrighted designs on the internet will also ask for a monetary contribution before giving you permission to use the design. Images that do not give you this information should be regarded with caution. If you really, really, like a design without an obvious notification, you should engage in a copyright search, which could cost you considerable time and effort to establish, if at all possible. As a last resort, you can always contact the Copyright Office, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington D.C. 20559 by mail or online at www.loc.gov/copyright.

If you are interested in a particular artist’s work, then you need to contact the artist, explain what you would like to do with the image, and ask for permission in writing to use it. The important thing is to have the permission in writing. The permission should also state if it is for a one-time use for a specific product, or if you are able to create other products with the same image.

The devil is always in the details; be as specific as possible to avoid infringement quarrels later.

-Ruth Dobbins, EtchMaster