Artists preparing to go online with their art always face the possibility of having their original ideas and hard work stolen. It might just be one person who right-clicks their image to use for a card or post to their own site, it might be an unscrupulous art publisher from another country that plans to reproduce that image for their own profit, it could be another artist who would claim that work as their own.
Ultimately, if someone is determined to steal your art they will - but you can make it so hard for them that it's not worth the effort! Here are some steps you can take to protect your intellectual property on the internet:
- Splice your image into sections
- Keep your image size small - a resolution no higher than 100 (72 is best) and no larger than 6" x 8" (or 500 x 600 pixels+/-) at the largest dimension.
- Place a translucent (viewable but see through) copyright mark over the image in strategic locations
- Upload only sections of your enlargements
- Float an empty image box over the image to prevent right-clicking (this is a script that does not work in Internet Explorer)
- Add a javascript code to prevent right-clicking (this does not work in Firefox)
- Create your art pages in Flash, web design software that creates an animated page.
- Digitally watermark your art
- Block access to your image files on your website server
- Copyright your work
- Place your copyright notice (or a link to it) at the bottom of every page of your site/blog
None of these actions are a guarantee that your work will not be taken and used without permission for some purpose other than your original intent or desires. There are many ways to get an image off of the internet. Anyone can get them right off the browser screen, they can download the files that are used to create any individual page and they can get images off of flash animations and videos. Additionally, if someone wants your art for the purpose of stealing it from you for their own reproduction and profit they can simply buy a high quality image from you and proceed from there.
If you discover your work has been stolen you do have legal recourse, possibly without having a legal copyright. I am not an attorney so I cannot advise you in this area: however, be aware that this can be a costly and involved process that may or may not wind up in your favor. Beware of old wives tales regarding copyrights, the copyright laws have changed in recent years, particularly in regards to the internet. You can read up on copyright law at the U.S. Copyright Office.
Despite the risks involved, you should consider creating an online gallery or e-commerce store for your art. It is a growing avenue for promoting and marketing your work that could ultimately be one of your best revenue streams. As for me, I have decided to put my faith in the goodness of people and my ability to create new art so I'm always one jump ahead of anyone who steals my art or my ideas! But I keep my lawyer's number handy.
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