~ An Expert ~

  

.... I am not, nor have I ever claimed to be one.  I received several emails and comments asking about the license number, the cost, the tags, the art.  I'm going to try and explain it in layman's terms using the information I have or have been given.   First though I do want to address the several comments saying I did nothing wrong.  I did.  I bent the rules as does just about every tagger I've seen on AOL Journals.  I used work from an artist that requires a license be purchased before using.  Does that mean every tag needs a license number on it?  No.  

 

There are several guilds out there that have contracts with different artists to sell licenses to use their artwork.   This is fairly new, and the lists of artists grow daily and I am sure the guilds will too.  Most taggers get their supplies from different groups and they are shared via email.   It's not always known when we receive the work who the artist is.  Personally, I am learning but I am not going to claim to know them all.  I, as we all have, assumed that since we are being sent them it's ok, or since others use them so can we.  We bent the rules.  It was a quiet community here in JLand and we got away with it until over this past weekend we were exposed, all of us. 

 

I contacted CILM and discussed a number of different things.  Michelle Geurra was great, and very helpful.  I can't speak for the other guilds, nor can she but she did tell me they are not the 'Big Bad Wolf' they are made out to be.  After talking to her for hours in the course of a few days I will agree.  They are trying to educate.  I don't like the idea of having to pay for something that I basically give away, but the rule is the rule.  Since I will now have to look over my shoulder with each tag I personally will take the extra steps. 

 

I haven't contacted the other guilds, which I have linked below, but the CILM works fairly easy.  You do not purchase a registration license, but rather a package of tubes.  Once you do that you have the number to use on all tubes you purchase from them.  That doesn't mean you can slap that number on each tag you do that may contain a tube or graphic that they do sell but is in your inventory.  You are purchasing the right to use it.  It's a rather simple process and you can get things almost immediately.  They give you directions and the term of use for each artist as it could be different.   You can do it online with a credit card, paypal, or call them on the phone. 

 

The other guilds I've been made aware of are below, if you know of more by all means leave a comment and I will add it to the list :)

 

http://www.creativeimagelicensing.com/

 

http://www.mypsptubes.com/

 

http://artisticmindsinc.com/

 

http://www.upyourart.com/dlg/cart/

 

Michelle was also kind enough to send me some basic guidelines on the use and copyright

Basic rules for proper copyright and graphic use are:

1. If you know the creator of the work ALWAYS give copyright credit.
2. If you don't know the creator of the work try to find out in order 
to give credit.
3. If you can not find out who the creator of the work is then you 
are better off NOT using the work and certainly NOT passing it on to 
other people.
4. If youknow or think you know an artist is pay to use then you 
should have a purchased a package and obtained proper licensing from 
their respective licensing company in order to legally use the work.
5. Never share your license or your paid tubes with anyone.

When using your very own artwork ( not your tag creation ) but say a personal photo you have taken yourself for a tag background then you MUST put your copyright information on it as follows:

photo©and your name, you can't use a nickname it has to be at least your real first name and last name initial if not your entire name.

You MAY NOT put a © symbol on any tag you create with ANY pieces of work that you did not create from scratch all by yourself. If you obtain elements from scrap kits, art work from Free to use artists or artwork from Pay to use artists you may not but a © symbol on your creation.  The exception to this would be if you have your own photos.  You would then do photo©your name (see above)

You MAY however put:

tagged by: and your name or designed by: and your name, in these 
cases you may use your nickname.

Here is a helpful link about copyright and common myths among digital 
artwork users.

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

 

or

 

http://whatiscopyright.org/

 

Sorry for the boring information but I thought it easier to do here then send a gazillion mails.  Some tags will have license numbers and copyright information, some just copyright information, and some nothing.   I will do my best to look up each artist before I use it, but I am human.  I am not a machine that knows all the answers.  I don't think it makes me a bad person.  I would hope that going forward if someone recognizes something and I've done it wrong they'd contact me.  Not go running to the graphic police.  I would never in a million years turn anyone in for making an error in judgment or making a mistake.  It's up to everyone who makes tags to make a decision based on them, not me or anyone else.   

 

Wow.. that is a lot of information, eh?  I hope it makes sense.  It's for sharing purposes only.  I am not pointing at anyone, I am not accusing anyone.  I'm giving the information I have or have been given.  Do with it what you think you need to.  I'm going back to being me and having some fun now.  :)