Question: Saved Pics off the net: Morality

[Reptoholic]

You know when you look up an anime, pics or fan art off of google, well I was wondering about the morality of using them as avatars or backgrounds on sites like this. I know the have scenery ones for free you can download in high resolution, but what about using different pics you find and Save as for profile pics and others? Some are not made from individuals that show up on the search engine and others are from mainstream anime/games. I have read a little of some laws on Fan Art and copyright protections, but this is not about selling, but using preexisting art on the internet. Keep in mind that all art is currently circulating around the web search like google/images (not viciously poached of personal web pages or personal libraries) and can be found on any browser.  I don't want to offend other artist who make them, so I don't tend to use them, but I was wonder about the thoughts of the graphical artists of Kametsu and what their opinions on this matter were. 

 

~Reptoholic

[Koby]

Pretty sure using them as display pictures (avatars) would fall under the fair use guidelines. Similar to making anime music videos using footage from anime series. As long as you're not making money off of it and simply making it as a fan of the show, it should be fine.

 

I can see why some fan artists might be mad if they specifically asked for it to not be used that way and someone did it anyway. I also once got all my signatures deleted from deviantArt because I utilized a video game character that was rendered by someone else on dA and didn't credit them for it (I wasn't aware, I obtained it from Google); but apparently they reported it and in the process wiped my whole account so I stop stopped using dA completely.

[Kii-lon]

You know...if their's a artpiece that you really want to use but feel bothered thinking the artist

might not like it, you can always ask the fan-artist if it's okay

to use their artwork as their profile pic.

 

To me though...I feel that something like this isn't a big deal

compared to say...plagiarizing someone's art and treating them

like their own, using their art in hateful imagery (unless the artist doesn't mind), etc.

 

If I were an artist [I have dabbled with art before many years ago], someone using my art as an profile pic would not bother me...

Hell I would be happy people are using it for others to see.

 

But I understand where you're coming from Reptoholic on your feelings about.

Certainly I'm guessing you've encountered something like this in the past but who knows...

Still, this isn't too big of a deal unless the person is treating it as their own or the artist specifically

doesn't want the "user" to not use it, knowingly going out of their way to make sure that's that.

 

You know what I mean?

 

This isn't as worse as people plagiarizing art or using certain imagery that

the artist doesn't like (Hate speech, violent, etc) or doesn't want to be shared

if said so.

 

They're a variety of reasons for every artist out there...yeah.

 

===

 

5 hours ago, Koby said:

I also once got all my signatures deleted from deviantArt because I utilized a video game character that was rendered by someone else on dA and didn't credit them for it (I wasn't aware, I obtained it from Google); but apparently they reported it and in the process wiped my whole account so I stop stopped using dA completely.

 

Interesting...when it comes to creating art on dA and using

someone's creation in a variety of art pieces, the situation changes

when the artist isn't created for said creation and I know that feeling well.

 

It's sad your dA got removed...if only the artist informed you before

reporting you but decided to go with reporting before resolving the

issue yourself. Sorry for your loss...all that work (under good will) gone...

 

Compared to using an art piece as an avatar, if making art/pics/signatures and sharing

it with the world (and not using said signature on a forums that is, sharing it)...it is important

to credit the artist or more if said artist has specific rules on using his art in stuff like that.

 

Things that are for personal use [avatars, wallpaper, signature on a forum [isn't posted on dA or such], etc] are usual fine, things that are for being used in art/video/etc, always best to credit the artist/read their rules about using their art.

 

Again it's a shame the artist didn't contact you directly before all of this happened...

We learn as we move forward. Thanks for sharing this story by the way admin Koby.

 

Sorry for the long post but anyways I hope y'all understand what I meant hehe!
See ya!

Edited November 17, 2016 by Kii-lon

[Reptoholic]

4 hours ago, Koby said:

the process wiped my whole account

 

Koby I am sad to hear what happened to you, Sorry man. I hope you had extra files saved. Thanks for the informations

 

2 hours ago, Kii-lon said:

Certainly I'm guessing you've encountered something like this in the past but who knows...

 

Actually, it has never personally happened to me, as crazy as this whole post may sound. I know some of the legalities on copyright infringement in regards to making profit,  but what got me was using the pics that I find on google images for non profit cases(also no republishing with alterations). From watching the people on this site be so proud of their work (which they have every right to be, they are quite honestly, amazing works of art) It made me wonder if I could use pics that I find online for the as mention avatars and profile pics. I figured asking here where there are many artists would give me a better insight. For all I know one of the pics I have seen may have been one of theirs, or they knew the creator.

 

 Since I have never played any major video game besides Spiro,  Halo 3 for a while and Call of duty, I don't know many of the characters that are famous and prominent. When I look up pics to see drawings for Blond/red/blue/purple hair anime characters / armored samurai...etc... I don't know the difference between a mainstream character and some fan art. Not all of the pictures you find will actually say "This is from Here____" . I was originally curious if it was offensive if someone used a picture found on the internet and it was created by an individual and not a company. I don't have the ...Best imagination of people's faces when reading, I have a folder of different animated characters/ scenery (like castles/swamps/magical&demonic lands...)  that I can use as faces for others characters when I read. I tend to read books and stories more than I watch anime or play games. I honestly  don't even know what shows/games half of them are from, just screen shot and review them later. This helps me get a better view of the plot in books when I can put a face to the name and place.  It is also my favorite to see the Magical creatures that different people make and others for wallpaper.

 

All of these cases are specifically used for recall, no profit.  I have a few of dragons that I was curious about using as profile pice and is one of the reasons I  had brought the subject up to inquire how the different artists feel about the subject. I would hate to offend the other community members by using someone else work, when I did not personally take the time (since I am not artistically inclined) to make it myself. The other reasons was also out of pure curiosity. I wanted to know the opinions of others showing of their work, if when you create these different characters if you prefer them to be of personal use  or if there is pride in oneself in seeing them being showed off. In all honesty, most of the time I think some of the fan art is more realistic/better made than some of the aired sketches/animation.

 

I do thank you too Kii-lon for the information given, I appreciate the advice and words of experience.

 

Thanks,

   ~ Reptoholic

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by Reptoholic

[Walter Bishop]

If someone can't give you the courtesy of asking you to take it down then f*** them because i could just go around claiming all kinds of stuff as mine and make all kinds of peoples stuff get deleted and banned and blocked.  On the same note if really want to keep something up for a length of time you should do your due diligence and ask if its ok.