2009 February 16 | Art Licensing Blog

Daily Archives: February 16, 2009

Read the fine print before uploading art to the internet.

There has been quite a buzz about terms of service lately. Sometimes we (ok, I, I’ll speak for myself!) get so excited about some new technology online that we don’t take the time to read the service agreement and fully understand what we are agreeing to. If you want to license your art, this can be especially important to you.

I’ve had a post-it on my computer for a few weeks now to blog / comment on this topic. Today I decided it was high-time since there is quite an uproar about Facebook and how they have changed their terms. Bottom Line: Don’t put your art on Facebook. (That’s my understanding, anyway.)

Before Feb 4, 2009, you could cancel your Facebook account and the content is yours again.

“You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

But now… they are singing a different tune.

You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.

I wouldn’t sign a licensing agreement that looked like this so I have no plans to put any art I have created for my business on Facebook.

There are people who say those upset by this are panicking because it is simply a “license”… but it looks like a “license” (which is legal permission, remember) to do anything they want. That could, worst case scenario, impact your ability to license the art to a manufacturer.

Click here for an article with more details.

UPDATE: After writing this post this morning, there was a response from Facebook saying they don’t want or claim ownership over content… click here for that article. It’s all a bit gray to me… not sure WHY they would take content and use it but the language suggests they could if they wanted to down the road. And my understanding of contracts is to be ok with the worst case scenario…

There is a group on Facebook called People Against the new Terms of Service (TOS) if you are on Facebook and want to voice your concern.

But this isn’t just confined to Facebook… another that has been mentioned on the Art Licensing Forum is www.spoonflower.com. It’s a great new site for having fabric printed with a 1 yard minimum. The fabric looks great — I’ve seen samples. And if I didn’t already have a fabric client, I’d consider having some samples made to show how my work would look on fabric.

But as one member posted as a comment to the “Custom Textiles” discussion on the Art Licensing Forum:

Spoonflower is a great resource. In digging through their site to find out more, I came across a bit of information “licensing artists” should take note of. It’s posted on http://blog.spoonflower.com/2008/07/can-i-sell-my-d.html . It gives them rights to your work via this lanquage “Spoonflower a nonexclusive, worldwide, transferable license to copy, crop, reproduce, publicly display, and distribute your Content. If your Content is uploaded as a design for fabric available on this Site, you grant to Spoonflower a nonexclusive, worldwide, transferable license to create derivative works of, modify, copy, sell, display and distribute the Content and fabrics created from or based on such Content.”

Again, it’s a great site, great idea and a perfect prototype resource, but make sure you are aware of what rights you may be giving away. (end of comment)

So… just be aware of what you are agreeing to when your excitement kicks in! There may be times you think the risk is low and worth the reward and others that you don’t. But making an informed decision is better than kicking yourself later.

Have a great day!

Tara

Repeat Patterns… the sequel! The Combo Pack! The excitement never ends!

Back in August 2008, I created an eBook tutorial about how to create repeat borders and patterns in Photoshop™. When I wrote it, I told the reader that this would be the first of 2 tutorials. The second would be a more advanced technique called a “half-drop”. I told the reader they REALLY, REALLY, REALLY needed to master the basic techniques so they would be ready to roll when I got the second book done.

WELL… the half-drop repeat book is ready!

If you already have the first book, Basic Repeat Borders and Patterns, and you have read and learned the information, you are ready to go for “the Sequel”. If you are new to repeat patterns, start with the first book or save some green and get the “combo pack” that has both books together.

If you can provide quality art, in a format that is easy for a manufacturer to use, you save them money. Saving your clients money is one way to stand out from the crowd. I found figuring out how to create repeats, using Photoshop™, was very frustrating. I couldn’t find all the information I needed in one place. I picked up a little here, a little there… over a long period of time.

What I have done with these books is created a very visual, step-by-step guide to repeat patterns… without all the “extra” Photoshop™ stuff… just what you need to get the job done. If you are like me you are busy, wearing many hats in your business, and need to cut to the chase.

“But what is a basic repeat pattern vs. a half-drop?” you ask. Good question!
repeats-basicgrid

With a ‘basic’ repeat pattern, you created a section of art that gets repeated vertically and horizontally and can go on indefinitely. It’s like laying basic tiles on a floor, lined up evenly.

repeats-halfdropgrid A half-drop is a little more sophisticated… instead of lining your tiles up evening, you stagger them. What is the point of that? It makes the repeated pattern harder to pick out with an untrained eye and adds more ‘visual interest’ to the pattern.

Learning and understanding the techniques for a basic repeat will make stepping it up a notch to the half-drop techniques an easier process.

To learn more about the eBook tutorials, click here, and you will go to the repeat pattern overview page of my website. Then you can decide if you want to learn about an individual book or the “Combo” offer.

Have an incredible day – here’s to your success!

~ Tara

P.S. If you need to buy or upgrade Photoshop™, click the link below…