More Philosophy


My latest thoughts have concerned what can be done with digital tools, not in the creative process, but in theorizing and showcasing work. This lead me to find a brief article in Communication Arts magazine, concerning facilitating the licensing of images.

This topic is one of those that hits you in a common sense manner. I am aware that people who create images have specific rights to those images, but where is the line and how sturdy is it? This website www.useplus.com appears to have worked out some sort of system via the internet to help designers license their work.

The philosophy aspect of this task is now that digital reproduction (such as digital cameras, scanners, and storing photos that can be taken off of websites) is available to anyone with a free library card, how safe are images you put out to the public. As my digital imaging professor mentioned last week, starting out as an artist, you should be more worried about having an avenue for the public to see your work, than worry about people stealing your images. For those who are already established artist's, I presume that they have legal backing, or have insider knowledge in the subject.

Is this to say, that only the master painters and photographers who lived before the digital era will be exempt from stealing and manipulation of their images. What about public domain and when your copyright wears off. Well, I did here that anything anyone creates in the present day has an official copyright, without even applying for anything.