Copyright protection

[Caenwyr]

Hey guys, a question for my fellow commission cartographers out there.

Do any of you guys use a copyright license agreement or similar? I usually charge different prices for different types of use, but I imagine it'd be really easy for a client to say his order belongs to the cheapest category (strictly private use) and still use the image for other purposes afterwards. I don't feel like using ugly watermarks and I don't even want to start this dangerous game of mistrusting my clients, but I also don't like to be cheated/robbed.

So I guess my question is: how do you guys make sure your maps aren't used for things the customer didn't pay for?

[Greg]

I know what you mean Caenwyr, but don't really do much about, nor probably could. Whenever I do a commission, I just rely on the persons trust.

Unless the client is making real additional money from the work I've done, or claiming it as their own, I'm not really too bothered as it still spreads my work out there. I always have my signature at the bottom of everything I do, and if there are any commissions I don't have that with, it's because the client is paying for full rights anyway. If I did come across someone selling my work or claiming it as their own, then I would have a problem, but how I'd know about this is the real big issue.

I don't think there is anyway in particular you can stop people using your work. A while back, Mouse pointed out that some of my works had been posted to a facebook page somewhere that she followed and asked if I had given permission, which I hadn't. Again, I wasn't too concerned about it as it did still have my credit on the image (though not in the post), but it just goes to show how easily one's work can spread without your own knowledge.

TLDR: I don't think you can truly. If I did come across someone really mistreating our agreement, then I would take action, but whether I'd find them and be able to actually get recompensation or what not is a totally different thing.

Just some rambling thoughts, but I hope that helps, Caenwyr.

[Mouse]

Personally I'm having more trouble with being pinned all over the place just recently, which is annoying when people don't give credit, and another friend of mine has seen one of his maps actually being claimed as someone else's work!

The lesson I've learned (since over 20 of my WIPs for Merelan City have been pinned) is that its never too soon to put a copyright bit on the bottom with your name on it.

Redrobes made a watermarking app not so long ago (a couple of days at most), but its not a watermark that you're after, is it.

I can't really be much help with commissions, since I don't do them, but a copyright thing on the map where it can't easily be erased is a start

[Jaxilon]

GLS makes good points about spreading your work but I also put my signature and pertinent information on the art itself for this reason.

I did find an early version of the image I use as my avatar (which I created here during a challenge) on a Chinese website being sold as art for use on a cell phone cover which I thought was a bit rubbish. I think they were making their money from the covers verses the artwork but that taught me to at least put my signature on everything. It's also in another country and I don't think anything could be done even if they were making money. I just look at it as the cost of doing business on the internet.

That said, when you put notification on your work it is supposed to protect you from being ripped off seriously. In my case, it wasn't like Hallmark was taking my art and making bank from it.

I'm still amateur on commissions and learning the ropes myself but I guess at the end of the day I'd rather share my art than keep it hidden in my books and hard drives. Maybe someone who has a lot more experience in this area will chime in, but that's my two cents worth.

www.drawnanddrafted.com had some one page bootcamps on contracts and so on which explained the various levels on Contract agreements (like what the client is paying for (ie: License to use up to full Copyright)) and what Copyrighting your work does for you. They were giving them away free back when I grabbed mine but you can go there and I think it's a "pay what you want" thing now. I don't know if it will be helpful for you but it may be good information that will help you feel better going forward.

There are probably things you can do to shut thieves down but you have to choose your battles and as already mentioned it isn't always worth the time.

[Straf]

Not very helpful for fantasy maps, but I like these stories of how cartographers would make places up that don't exist to catch copyright infringements:

http://gizmodo.com/the-fake-places-t...tog-1695414770

I particularly like Agloe, a place that came to actually exist.

[waldronate]

First off, I am not a lawyer. Second, copyright laws and protections vary by jurisdiction. Finally, copyright doesn't provide you with anything at all except the right to petition some authority for redress from the offending parties (again, type of offense, manner of petition, manner of redress, time within which you must petition, and so on will probably all vary by jurisdiction). The important part is proof of authorship, which will again vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

[jpstod]

The important part is proof of authorship, which will again vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

I always save the original source file for all my Maps..Yes it is tedious..But they contain the dates created and If asked I could prove I made it by reproducing it from Program and not by simply reprinting.

[Mark Oliva]

Regardless of all the legal questions, the value of your copyright - after it's been violated - depends upon your willingness and ability to prosecute a court case against the violator or, in the case of an online violation, also your willingness and ability to convince his/her host that its site is carrying illegal material. Most of the time, none of this is very easy to do.

[J.Edward]

Regardless of all the legal questions, the value of your copyright - after it's been violated - depends upon your willingness and ability to prosecute a court case against the violator or, in the case of an online violation, also your willingness and ability to convince his/her host that its site is carrying illegal material. Most of the time, none of this is very easy to do.

This is very true, and sadly, in the end is the true nature of it all.
If you can't afford to press litigation, then there is little you can do.
Thus, always put you name, logo, and weblinks on images, when possible.
Many clients will object. But when posting for your online portfolios, always do. Always.

[Mouse]

Mark them from the outset, even if all you have is a frame and a blank piece of parchment. People take our maps without our permission all the time and do what they want with them. Here is Merelan City on Pinterest before the city was even built. There's no credit given, and because I really didn't believe at the time that anyone would want a picture of a green blob in an ocean, there's no copyright notice to show my name or ownership either.

Here it is - actual proof that the very first thing that should ever go on a brand new map is the copyright notice.

MC on pinterest.JPG

Never, ever forget it.