Copyright and License Terms
Regarding Copyright and License Terms, in case of doubt, it is better to ask, than to pay later. Using copyrighted images of photographers or painters is called copyright infringement which can get very expensive.
Rule of Thumb
No matter whether you bought an original painting or an art print or a digital file, the copyright stays with the artist! You do not have permission to reproduce the painting in any way or post it online without written permission and attribution. To do this you need to buy a license.
Dos and Don’ts
To clarify what is allowed and what not, I have compiled a few Dos and Don’ts. In case of doubt, ask!
Don’ts
- Don’t make a photo of my painting on your wall (or a photo that you found on my website) to make a ton of greeting cards.
- Don’t use a photo of my painting or a screenshot to produce anything you sell, such as mugs or T-Shirts.
- Don’t repaint my painting and try to sell it as your own. Even showing it off online is not ok, unless you attribute the inspiration to my painting and ask for permission.
- Don’t just use one of the images on my website to adorn your Facebook page or Social Media profile without attribution (i.e. mentioning the name and website of the artist). This is not “Fait Use”!
Dos
- You can paint something similar to my painting or photo after you have asked for permission.
- You can paint and photograph images from artists who have died more than 70 years ago. Their images are “Public Domain” and therefore copyright-free.
- You can buy digital files of my paintings on my Artmajeur page. This is called a “Licensing”.
(To be continued)