Copyright question

[Cindy Procious]

Originally Posted by Carol Morimoto

I noted in the current issue of Artist's Magazine that Erin Crowe has been selling portraits she painted of Alan Greenspan over the years. The article says she works from source material such as newspapers and Web articles although "no painting is an exact copy of a photograph."

It is my understanding that this practice (exact copy or not) would still entail copyright infringement if she has not secured permission or a usage agreement with the photographer who took the photos. Can anyone clear this up for me?

Thanks,
Carol

What puzzles me is why the heck anyone would want to buy a portrait of Alan Greenspan (except his wife)?

[Tom Edgerton]

I believe that the gray area in the current law is that usage from source material is in violation if one can tell easily when viewing the new work that a particular source work was used.

Carol's heads up on a change to relax the law is particularly disturbing in that it's hard enough now to keep someone from stealing from your work. The law is always trailing behind new technology, such as the web.

Two books I would recommend highly for discussions/explanations of copyright law are "Legal Guide for the Visual Artist" by Tad Crawford, and the Graphic Artists Guild's "Pricing and Ethical Guidelines."

It's been a while since I saw them advertised, but you could try Amazon.com.

Regards--TE

[Carol Morimoto]

Tom, thanks for your comments. Commercial photographers are lobbying Congress like mad about this and can use all the support we may be able to give them to protect our rights as well.

Cindy, I hear you! But nevertheless the little head studies of Greenspan are selling handily for $2,000-4,000! Go figure.

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Originally Posted by Cindy Procious

What puzzles me is why the heck anyone would want to buy a portrait of Alan Greenspan (except his wife)?

Well, what puzzles me even more is that at http://www.thegallerysagharbor.com/e...owe_prints.htm they are selling prints of Crowe's portraits of Alan.
I think she's a genius, I had never heard of her before she had this idea.