[ Reply | Artists and Crafters Forum ]
Posted by Lorenza on 2/1/2002, 19:03:10 Exceptions are a few. If a company hires you as an artist, you may be giving up rights - but ONLY if it is in writing. You are always the assumed owner, UNLESS IT IS IN WRITING. So if someone hires you and nothing is put in writing - you are the owner. Also, suppose the company does want to BUY the image. For example, as a photographer, my customers sometimes assume they "own" the photo - they don't. I have heard in the business that when a client wishes to "own" the photograph, that is, I would turn over the negative and sell them all rights, you usually charge them 5 times the amount. There are lots of informative sites on the internet dealing with copyright and copyright infringement, and ownership of artwork. I found one of my photographs in some obscure magazine selling BUBBLE BATH!!! Apparently they thought I would never in a million years see the ad. I sued and won, for copyright infringement, and the model, my spouse, won for "right to privacy" infringement.
Link: http://www.dqinc.com/webdev6/RestlessVagabond/INDEX.HTML
Absolutely false! The minute you finish a piece of artwork, you own the piece. When you sell to someone who buys the image, you are selling the "right to use" the image. Also, you negotiate what rights. For example, you may negotiate a price + royalties for a greeting card. But if that company wishes to create a calendar, for example, you negotiate EXTRA fees for the "right to use" the picture. You even negotiate for what market. For example, if the image were to be used "worldwide" you negotiate a higher price if it were only USA.
