Know your Copy Rights!

Check out the book Bound by Law by Keith Aoki, James Boyle and Jennifer Jenkins.

In reading Bound by Law Keith Aoki, James Boyle, and Jennifer Jenkins, I learned some new and interesting aspects of what a copyright law actually is. Though admittedly I still find much of the legalities, loopholes and stipulations somewhat confusing, I did find clarity with what creative commons is and how to use it. Also, being able to read the information in comic-book form made it, in my opinion, a lot more digestible. I also found it a bit unsettling how the copyright law can be used against artists and film makers.

What I learned in a nutshell is that the ins and outs of copyright law can be complicated and easy for artists of varying sorts to get themselves into trouble. This seems to be especially true if whatever it is that is being litigated appears in a movie or documentary film, regardless if it was an accident. I also learned that despite getting clearance from the creator of the content in question, the company under which that content was released can still demand a hefty fee. After reading Bound by Law, I am not so sure I ever want to make a documentary that may have accidentally captured images or videos for fear of legal action. Granted there are some positive outcomes for artists using copyrighted material. The example on pages 24 and 25 outlines the case of Mattel suing artist Tom Forsythe over using images of Barbie in his pieces. The Judge presiding over the case ruled against Mattel and actually awarded Mr. Forsythe compensation for any legal fees incurred. The judge basically said that the lawsuit was used as a costly deterrent and went against the intent of the copyright act.

There are many convoluted and complicated elements revolving around copyright laws. By having the copyright laws described in comic book form, with illustrations and dialogue, it is much easier to take in and understand. With that said, there are still aspects that have too many variables and for me to fully grasp. An example this is found on pages 41 to 57. Here the authors outline the legalities of using copyrighted materials such as images and music in documentaries and biographies. Artists using such media need to know what they’re getting themselves into and this book may be the best way to get an understanding. For me specifically, I will be keeping a link to this book on my website so that I can refer to it when needed. I will likely be blogging about topics and include images and videos, so I want to know my legal boundaries. Furthermore, I want to know what my rights are as an artist posting original images and artwork.

-Ken