Decorative Painting & Copyrights
Decorative painting as an art form is very much alive with opportunities for creative expression and personal satisfaction. As a segment of the creative leisure industry, however, we have reached what many have called 'maturity'. And with maturity comes responsibility, not only to pass on the legacy of our art form by continuing to share and teach a new generation of painters, but also by continuing to maintain high standards of skill and ethics at all levels - from the home studios to the conference classrooms. It is with those goals in mind that we would once again address the issue of copyrights.
Copyright laws are a bundle of rights given to the original creator (author) of a literary or artistic work. These include the rights to copy, display, distribute or create a derivative work and to derive income from such work. The laws prohibit the copying (reproduction) or altering of the work by anyone other than the creator without his/her explicit permission. In the strictest legal sense, this includes not only photocopying but "hand reproducing" (tracing or making a likeness or the original... i.e. painting) and photography (taking a photo and placing it on the Internet). Current U.S. and European Copyright Laws extend for 70 years after the author's death. The phrase "All rights reserved" is a tidy summation fo the lengthy and often complex body of copyright laws, and means that the author retains all of his legal rights. That being said, we come to the world of crafting and decorative painting. Talented artists with generous hearts for teaching and sharing create designs (works of art) and instructional materials (literary works) for the implied purpose of others to copy by hand. This does not mean that the artist/author gives up any copy rights! She is still entitled to derive income from and set the terms and limits (give explicit permission) as to how her work may be used by another. These terms usually appear as a "Copyright Statement" found at the beginning of a book or at the end of a pattern packet.
Artist/authors in our field usually develop their own individual policy statements. A typical copyright policy for decorative painters might read as follows:
"The purchaser of this packet may hand paint the project or patterns contained herein in limited numbers for fun or profit. Wholesale production is prohibited without the written permission of the Artist. Reproduction of any part of this pattern or instructions by any mechanical and/or electronic means is prohibited. All rights reserved."
You may find this copyright policy more strict than some and less strict than others. when in doubt about the limitations or restrictions of an artist's policy it is advisable to contact him/her directly. In most cases a brief letter of permission will protect both you and the coyright holding artist.
Many artists have a low minimum requirement for buying their packets at wholesale. This policy enables a teacher with as few as three students to provide each member of the class with an authentic set of instructions. As a result, the teacher maintains her ethical integrity and is entitled to re-sell the packets to her students at a profit if she so desires; students enjoy and appreciate receiving an original set of instructional materials and photographs; artists/designers/authors receive the compensation to which they are legally entitled; and lastly, our beloved art form will continue to flourish and benefit from the many gifted people who pour out their talents for the love of decorative painting. When copyrights are honored everyone wins!
Decorative painting as an art form is very much alive with opportunities for creative expression and personal satisfaction. As a segment of the creative leisure industry, however, we have reached what many have called 'maturity'. And with maturity comes responsibility, not only to pass on the legacy of our art form by continuing to share and teach a new generation of painters, but also by continuing to maintain high standards of skill and ethics at all levels - from the home studios to the conference classrooms. It is with those goals in mind that we would once again address the issue of copyrights.
Copyright laws are a bundle of rights given to the original creator (author) of a literary or artistic work. These include the rights to copy, display, distribute or create a derivative work and to derive income from such work. The laws prohibit the copying (reproduction) or altering of the work by anyone other than the creator without his/her explicit permission. In the strictest legal sense, this includes not only photocopying but "hand reproducing" (tracing or making a likeness or the original... i.e. painting) and photography (taking a photo and placing it on the Internet). Current U.S. and European Copyright Laws extend for 70 years after the author's death. The phrase "All rights reserved" is a tidy summation fo the lengthy and often complex body of copyright laws, and means that the author retains all of his legal rights. That being said, we come to the world of crafting and decorative painting. Talented artists with generous hearts for teaching and sharing create designs (works of art) and instructional materials (literary works) for the implied purpose of others to copy by hand. This does not mean that the artist/author gives up any copy rights! She is still entitled to derive income from and set the terms and limits (give explicit permission) as to how her work may be used by another. These terms usually appear as a "Copyright Statement" found at the beginning of a book or at the end of a pattern packet.
Artist/authors in our field usually develop their own individual policy statements. A typical copyright policy for decorative painters might read as follows:
"The purchaser of this packet may hand paint the project or patterns contained herein in limited numbers for fun or profit. Wholesale production is prohibited without the written permission of the Artist. Reproduction of any part of this pattern or instructions by any mechanical and/or electronic means is prohibited. All rights reserved."
You may find this copyright policy more strict than some and less strict than others. when in doubt about the limitations or restrictions of an artist's policy it is advisable to contact him/her directly. In most cases a brief letter of permission will protect both you and the coyright holding artist.
Many artists have a low minimum requirement for buying their packets at wholesale. This policy enables a teacher with as few as three students to provide each member of the class with an authentic set of instructions. As a result, the teacher maintains her ethical integrity and is entitled to re-sell the packets to her students at a profit if she so desires; students enjoy and appreciate receiving an original set of instructional materials and photographs; artists/designers/authors receive the compensation to which they are legally entitled; and lastly, our beloved art form will continue to flourish and benefit from the many gifted people who pour out their talents for the love of decorative painting. When copyrights are honored everyone wins!
