# Copyright Primer



## Matchu (May 28, 2021)

_As a writer, how would you feel if someone stole your work and used it for self-promotion or to make money for themselves?_

Your fine article provides much great information about images and about rights to images and about seeking a free image.

All the same it is inevitable you might receive a writerly-type of response on a writer website.  Your question - regarding plagiarism - tops the pops on writer forums: 'how do I stop folks stealing my book' generates sympathy & a great disdain usually, and a couple of jokes.

Some of us writers send articles and our stories to magazines. 

If they can pay us they do pay us, if they could pay us they would pay us....and so many of us writers believe - we are playing  a 'long game' - and we do call it _the game _actually, well I began that custom just back now - as in regards to your opening premise -  sending our stories to the magazines - _how would you feel if... ..._well, well, [I inhale] you see, I would never ever bite the hand that did never never ever had fed me nothing, ehmm.

We, the baffled, the tearful and despondent crew, [the B crew, plus C through to Z crew, the writer crews] we remain stoic individuals as regards to photographers, and to graphic designers, and IN PARTICULAR - toward IT engineers and the actor enemies - how they make a living and we cannot and we never ever will make a living. The bad writers especially - we must struggle in our smoking jackets, in our ordinary and in our starving lives, that provide, at least, material, but not the burgers, for articles for which we are never paid, and we are never read.

Yours in the world writing lifetime career earnings of $90

Maff


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## PiP (May 28, 2021)

Many writers use images to promote their work and without realising they are in breach the creator's copyright. A picture is worth a thousand words.  It's sometimes hard to know if an image is free to use or not - Steve has provided WF with an overview including links to several free image sites, however, due diligence is still required. When using an image please also remember to credit its creator.


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## Pamelyn Casto (May 28, 2021)

I'd be furious. And _was_ furious a couple of years ago when some thief stole one of my essays and re-published it using the thief's name rather than mine. A friend notified me. She happened to be looking for markets and found my work with someone else's name on it. She informed me and lucky for me the essay had been published a few times so I got a couple of editors who'd previously published my essay to help me get the thief's name off my work. 

That's as far as we took it (my name restored to my work) it but all involved (my friend, me, the editor where the thief published my work, two editors who'd published my essay already, and various others) we know the thief's name and to this day we keep watch.  

So please do keep watch for each other too.


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## PiP (May 29, 2021)

Pamelyn Casto said:


> I'd be furious. And _was_ furious a couple of years ago when some thief stole one of my essays and re-published it using the thief's name rather than mine. A friend notified me. She happened to be looking for markets and found my work with someone else's name on it. She informed me and lucky for me the essay had been published a few times so I got a couple of editors who'd previously published my essay to help me get the thief's name off my work.


You were lucky a friend spotted it. How can any writer build their reputation on theft? Surely they must realise (thanks to online plagiarism checkers) that they will at some point be discovered. You have not named and shamed this writer but we do have a section on WF called the 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' where we encourage writers to highlight scams and vanity publishers etc.


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## Mark Twain't (May 29, 2021)

Interesting to read this having just posted in the 'sentence rewriter' thread.


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## VRanger (May 29, 2021)

Mark Twain't said:


> Interesting to read this having just posted in the 'sentence rewriter' thread.


Their product does seem like a tool to COMMIT plagiarism, doesn't it? That thread has been unapproved for discussion, and should soon be gone for good as the spam it is.


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## Mark Twain't (May 29, 2021)

vranger said:


> Their product does seem like a tool to COMMIT plagiarism, doesn't it? That thread has been unapproved for discussion, and should soon be gone for good as the spam it is.


Yes, the irony wasn't lost on me.


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## Taylor (May 31, 2021)

Another area to be concerned with is photos of images with property rights.  Apparently, you can use your own picture of the Eiffel Tower as the structure is part of the public domain.  But, if you take a picture at night when the lighting is on, you cannot use that without a property release, or it is an infringement because the creative process for the lighting has a property right.

I have been planning on using a cityscape of New York City for the back of my cover.  There are many of them on stock photo sites.  But even for photos I purchase and use legally, how can I be certain there are no property rights infringements?


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## indianroads (Jun 4, 2021)

Taylor said:


> Another area to be concerned with is photos of images with property rights.  Apparently you can use your own picture of the Eiffel as the structure is part of the public domain.  But, if you take a picture at night when the lighting is on, you cannot use that without a property release, or it is an infringement because the creative process for the lighting has a property right.
> 
> I have been planning on using a cityscape of New York City for the back of my cover.  There are many of them on stock photo sites.  But even for photos I purchase and use legally, how can I be certain there are no property rights infringements?


Are your covers professionally done, or do you make them yourself?


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## Taylor (Jun 4, 2021)

indianroads said:


> Are your covers professionally done, or do you make them yourself?


They will be professionally done.


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## indianroads (Jun 4, 2021)

Taylor said:


> They will be professionally done.


You avoid the copyright issues that way.


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## Taylor (Jun 4, 2021)

indianroads said:


> You avoid the copyright issues that way.


I'm not sure I follow.  So the onus is on the artist who selects the photo?


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## Foxee (Jun 4, 2021)

Taylor said:


> I'm not sure I follow.  So the onus is on the artist who selects the photo?


Yes. If you're going to use intellectual property it's up to you to make sure that it's okay and under what conditions it's okay.


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## indianroads (Jun 4, 2021)

Taylor said:


> I'm not sure I follow.  So the onus is on the artist who selects the photo?


I believe so. Professionals know the ins and outs of copyright issues - they make sure nothing in their covers is an infringement.


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## Taylor (Jun 4, 2021)

indianroads said:


> I believe so. Professionals know the ins and outs of copyright issues - they make sure nothing in their covers is an infringement.


Copyright laws vary in some countries.  One might want to choose wisely when choosing a cover artist.


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## Irwin (Jun 4, 2021)

Taylor said:


> Another area to be concerned with is photos of images with property rights.  Apparently you can use your own picture of the Eiffel as the structure is part of the public domain.  But, if you take a picture at night when the lighting is on, you cannot use that without a property release, or it is an infringement because the creative process for the lighting has a property right.
> 
> I have been planning on using a cityscape of New York City for the back of my cover.  There are many of them on stock photo sites.  But even for photos I purchase and use legally, how can I be certain there are no property rights infringements?


Interesting. With some buildings such as the Chrysler Building, you can use their likeness as long as they're not the primary subject of the image. Others, you need a release. I guess a way around that would be to alter the image so the buildings aren't recognizable, but even then, there might be a lawsuit.

Probably one of the most high-profile violations of property rights in photographs was the Eagles album Hotel California with the unauthorized use of a photo of the Beverly Hills Hotel on its cover. The hotel sued the Eagles but eventually dropped the lawsuit because the hotel's business had increased dramatically due to the album's popularity.


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## Taylor (Jun 4, 2021)

Irwin said:


> Interesting. With some buildings such as the Chrysler Building, you can use their likeness as long as they're not the primary subject of the image. Others, you need a release. I guess a way around that would be to alter the image so the buildings aren't recognizable, but even then, there might be a lawsuit.
> 
> Probably one of the most high-profile violations of property rights in photographs was the Eagles album Hotel California with the unauthorized use of a photo of the Beverly Hills Hotel on its cover. The hotel sued the Eagles but eventually dropped the lawsuit because the hotel's business had increased dramatically due to the album's popularity.


That's a great example Irwin, and exactly the type of thing I fear!     Because of course, my first novel will become an international bestseller.  

I notice Nora Roberts uses a similar New York Cityscape for _Summer Desserts _including an image of the World Trade Centre. Perhaps the landlord views that as free advertising, much the same as the Eagles album.  But if there is something about your book they don't like, you could get a cease and desist and a lawsuit for damages.

I'm leaning towards staying away from this idea.


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## Irwin (Jun 5, 2021)

Taylor said:


> That's a great example Irwin, and exactly the type of thing I fear!     Because of course, my first novel will become an international bestseller.
> 
> I notice Nora Roberts uses a similar New York Cityscape for _Summer Desserts _including an image of the World Trade Centre. Perhaps the landlord views that as free advertising, much the same as the Eagles album.  But if there is something about your book they don't like, you could get a cease and desist and a lawsuit for damages.
> 
> I'm leaning towards staying away from this idea.


I would think there would be some fake cityscapes out there for a few bucks that might be useable. Or maybe a cityscape from another country that you could use without worrying about getting sued, although if your novel is an international bestseller, that could be a problem.   

Is your novel set in NYC?


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## Taylor (Jun 5, 2021)

Irwin said:


> I would think there would be some fake cityscapes out there for a few bucks that might be useable. Or maybe a cityscape from another country that you could use without worrying about getting sued, although if your novel is an international bestseller, that could be a problem.
> 
> Is your novel set in NYC?


Yes.  It's a Wall Street mystery, based on a real story.  I was hoping for that wonderful nighttime view of the lit-up Brooklyn Bridge in the forefront and the financial district city lights and buildings reflecting in the East River.  I'm also hoping to use the original New York Stock Exchange building for the front cover.  It's pre-1900 so it should be public domain.


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## VRanger (Jun 5, 2021)

Taylor said:


> Yes.  It's a Wall Street mystery, based on a real story.  I was hoping for that wonderful nighttime view of the lit-up Brooklyn Bridge in the forefront and the financial district city lights and buildings reflecting in the East River.  I'm also hoping to use the original New York Stock Exchange building for the front cover.  It's pre-1900 so it should be public domain.











						Brooklyn bridge at night, new york city. | CanStock
					


Brooklyn bridge at night - download this royalty free Stock Photo in seconds. No membership needed.





					www.canstockphoto.com
				




Other options are available.


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## Taylor (Jun 5, 2021)

vranger said:


> Brooklyn bridge at night, new york city. | CanStock
> 
> 
> 
> ...


All gorgeous!  So are you saying just march ahead and do it?


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## VRanger (Jun 5, 2021)

Taylor said:


> All gorgeous!  So are you saying just march ahead and do it?


Yep. You can do the search for alternate views, but these are the most "budget conscious ;-)" covers you can buy. Grab the $7 resolution, add the title and author, pick a font, and you're good to go.


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## Irwin (Jun 5, 2021)

Here's a painting of the NYSE from Wikipedia:






I wonder how property rights laws apply to paintings of buildings as apposed to photos of them. Plus, if the building has changed its appearance, is a photo of its previous likeness still protected?

Lots of legal stuff to consider.


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## Foxee (Jun 5, 2021)

Irwin said:


> Here's a painting of the NYSE from Wikipedia:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's not complicated. If you create something then under copyright law the created thing and the use of the created thing's image (intellectual property) is YOURS. A painting of a building belongs to the painter, not to the owners of the building or some random person who wants to use the painting as part of their website, webstore, T-shirt shop, newsletter, album cover, etc.

If I took a photo of the Twin Towers in NYC I would still hold the copyright of that photo even though the towers no longer exist.

Copyright belongs to the creator of the work. Copyright LAW is there to formalize that fact, not 'give' the copyright to the creator.


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## Taylor (Jun 5, 2021)

vranger said:


> Yep. You can do the search for alternate views, but these are the most "budget conscious ;-)" covers you can buy. Grab the $7 resolution, add the title and author, pick a font, and you're good to go.


There are some limitations even with the $50 version.

Can Stock Photo offers several license options to allow you to legally use our content in most uses.
If you have questions or need to use our work in a manner not outlined here, please contact us.
The below should be seen as a general guide, and not the definitive license terms.
For complete clarity, please review our End User License Agreement.
Standard License​(default with all content)

You may use our content in newsletters, magazines, and advertising / promotional material, business cards, letterhead, promotional posters, billboards, and brochures; all of up to 500,000 reproductions.
You may use our content on your website, video presentations, and multimedia displays.
You can _not_ use our content as your legal logo, or as part of products for resale.
You may _not_ redistribute or re-sell our content in any way.
Enhanced License Options​Enhanced Licenses add rights to the Standard License, and permit you to use content for additional uses:

Reproduction / Unlimited Print Run
With this option, you are entitled to an unlimited number of reproductions of our content, provided it is not for resale or part of a product.
Physical Items (limited run) and Electronic Items (unlimited run) for Resale
If you select this option, you are entitled to:
Produce up to 10,000 physical items for resale, including t-shirts, postcards, greeting cards, calendars, mugs, and mouse pads, and
Produce an unlimited number of electronic items for resale, including electronic templates or applications, provided these products are not intended to allow the re-distribution or re-use of the content.


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## Taylor (Jun 5, 2021)

Foxee said:


> It's not complicated. If you create something then under copyright law the created thing and the use of the created thing's image (intellectual property) is YOURS. A painting of a building belongs to the painter, not to the owners of the building or some random person who wants to use the painting as part of their website, webstore, T-shirt shop, newsletter, album cover, etc.
> 
> If I took a photo of the Twin Towers in NYC I would still hold the copyright of that photo even though the towers no longer exist.
> 
> Copyright belongs to the creator of the work. Copyright LAW is there to formalize that fact, not 'give' the copyright to the creator.


When it comes to using photographs of other copyright property such as buildings, to be printed and resold, it is a bit more complicated.  Here's an example:

*THE TOWER ILLUMINATED*
_Controlled use_

The various illuminations of the Eiffel Tower (golden illumination, twinkling, beacon and events lighting) are protected.
The use of the image of the Eiffel Tower at night is therefore subject to prior authorisation by the SETE. This use is subject to payment of rights, the amount of which is determined by the intended use, the media plan, etc.

*Views of the Eiffel Tower taken by private individuals for private use do not require prior agreement. However, professionals must contact our teams, who will inform them of the conditions of use governing images.

«* The Eiffel Tower*  »* is a trademark and is therefore protected by trademark rights.
Products may be labelled with this reference following the negotiation of a licensing agreement examined on a case-by-case basis.









						The Eiffel Tower image
					


Professionals: what you need to know to shoot at the Eiffel Tower, take shots for a documentary, film, reportage, advertising, audiovisual project.





					www.toureiffel.paris


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## VRanger (Jun 5, 2021)

Taylor said:


> There are some limitations even with the $50 version.


They may have made some changes in the years since I bought my images and upped the level where you have more usage rights (I bought the two I've used so far 6 years ago). I'll double check with them before I use the next one. Thanks for the update.


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## Irwin (Jun 5, 2021)

My first novel is set in the '70s and music is a big part of it. Originally, I referenced some actual songs that were popular during that time and quoted some of their lyrics, but then I found out you can't do that; it violates copyright laws, which makes sense. I would have been using someone else's work for my benefit, and possibly from which to earn money. The only way you can do that is to get permission from whomever owns the copyrights to those songs.

To get around that, I used songs that I've written. At least they're serving a purpose now rather than just collecting dust in my computer.


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## sigmadog (Jun 8, 2021)

Regarding original artwork, I know of an oil painter who specializes in paintings of historical baseball players, stadiums and games. He is often asked why he doesn't sell prints of his paintings (which are gorgeous). 

He can't. He can legally make an oil painting of Babe Ruth hitting a homer, even using an actual photograph taken by someone else as the reference. And he can sell that one painting for whatever price he can get. But if he made prints to sell, that would be copyright infringement of the Babe's likeness, the photographer's image, and any other distinctive mark.

Even further, he paints modern images from baseball games using photo references, but since he's making a one-of-a-kind work of art, it's legal. Now if he wanted to sell prints, he'd need to get permission from all the players shown (or their estate, if they are deceased), the photographer, the corporations whose logos appear on the outfield wall, the businesses whose logos appear in any billboards in the background, any fans in the stands whose likeness is recognizable, the owners of the stadium, and the owners of any distinctive building in the background.

I believe the same rule applies to custom artwork commissioned for cover art. Because it will be reproduced as an essential marketing item for a product, it needs to be clear of any distinctive features, logos, people, buildings, etc., that could be copyrighted. A good artist will know how to create the look needed without breaking copyright law. 

It can be done, but it takes knowledge and skill.


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## Irwin (Jun 8, 2021)

sigmadog said:


> Regarding original artwork, I know of an oil painter who specializes in paintings of historical baseball players, stadiums and games. He is often asked why he doesn't sell prints of his paintings (which are gorgeous).
> 
> He can't. He can legally make an oil painting of Babe Ruth hitting a homer, even using an actual photograph taken by someone else as the reference. And he can sell that one painting for whatever price he can get. But if he made prints to sell, that would be copyright infringement of the Babe's likeness, the photographer's image, and any other distinctive mark.
> 
> ...


A copyright lasts for the life of the author plus and additional 70 years. How would that apply to Babe Ruth's likeness? He died in 1948, so 1948 + 70 = 2018. Did the copyright on his likeness expire three years ago?


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## Matchu (Jun 8, 2021)

I suppose the answer is yes.

And are there 200(0) great great grandchildren living fat off the royalties of Peggy Sue?  Is that how this works?

Anyway, image rights rights - on a writer website - disgraceful  - supported by Game o Thrones from TV pic-meme, very distressing on a writer website.

Yours faithfully,

Dorothy Nineteenth-Century


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## sigmadog (Jun 8, 2021)

Irwin said:


> A copyright lasts for the life of the author plus and additional 70 years. How would that apply to Babe Ruth's likeness? He died in 1948, so 1948 + 70 = 2018. Did the copyright on his likeness expire three years ago?


I believe copyrights can be renewed. In the case of Ruth, I think his heirs can simply make use of his image for their purposes before the copyright runs out and that alone will renew the copyright. 

This is my understanding. Whether it's 100% correct is open to question because … IANAL.


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## sigmadog (Jun 8, 2021)

Matchu said:


> supported by Game o Thrones from TV pic-meme


Lord of the Rings. Try to keep up…


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## JacobMichaelDan (Dec 14, 2021)

This is a question, though I am not aware if this thread is dead or not: are there any online "plagiarized book cover" checker (concerning copyrighted images), and if so, could you reply with some links? Much appreciated, and thank you,
Jacob


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## PiP (Dec 14, 2021)

JacobMichaelDan said:


> This is a question, though I am not aware if this thread is dead or not: are there any online "plagiarized book cover" checker (concerning copyrighted images), and if so, could you reply with some links? Much appreciated, and thank you,
> Jacob


Good question: I've used this








						How To Check Image Plagiarism With Reverse Image Search?
					


Curious to know who is stealing your photos online?This article explains how to track image plagiarism with reverse image search.





					buddinggeek.com
				



@sigmadog will probably know of more


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## JacobMichaelDan (Dec 14, 2021)

PiP said:


> Good question: I've used this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you!


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## RGS (Dec 14, 2021)

This is something I've been very cautious about when making my covers. I might use an image I found online to "model" mine after, but I make sure that mine is created from the ground up, especially since they're for sale commercially.


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## sigmadog (Dec 14, 2021)

PiP said:


> Good question: I've used this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Actually, I've never used anything like that before because:


I've generally focused on creating my own custom artwork and can't remember ever using some other artist's work, and if someone is using mine without permission…
I'm so lazy I actually would prefer NOT to know, so I wouldn't feel obligated to do something about it.


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## SilverBardSings (Apr 12, 2022)

sigmadog said:


> Here is a list of some free image sites. IMPORTANT: Your due diligence is required, as not all images are free. Be sure to read the Terms of Use for each site as they can vary quite a bit, and sometimes the images themselves have use restrictions:
> 
> 
> Kaboompics.com
> ...



It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to note that NOT all images on these sites are actually "free"... some have been stolen and were put up on these sites without permission. It is ALSO extremely important to note that there are certain image usage restrictions for people and certain recognizable locations.  This is why most cover artists LIVE by the rule "If you didn't purchase rights to the image, you don't use it."  There are very VERY few exceptions.  We also make sure to warn authors against using free images for their books or self-made covers...

*If you didn't purchase the rights to an image but instead pulled it from a free image site, and it is then discovered that the picture was originally stolen form its original creator and posted to a free site without permission, YOU ARE STILL LIABLE FOR USING THAT PICTURE WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION FROM THE OG ARTIST FIRST.*  (Its underlined and in bold because its THAT important...)

Also, keep in mind when searching for images that there are different licensing agreements.  Even in Creative Commons licensing, there can be differences.  Some licensing will only allow you to use an image for personal home use which means you CANNOT sell anything you make using that item, OR use the item to advertise a product.  Some licensing will allow you to only use the image for web-based personal use, like on blogs or social media.  What artists and authors want to look for is the COMMERCIAL LISCENSE. (and this goes for fonts too).  You will STILL want to make sure you read the fine print, but a commercial license will generally allow you to use the image in/on products you sell as well as for marketing and advertising.  However, this doesn't mean you can make prints of the artwork you make of that image that you can sell... even though you CAN basically do so on books. (Its complicated).

Still, ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT.  Some comercial licenses come with an item limit, which means you can only sell so many items using that image before you have to rebuy the license or else buy an extended license, and those can get expensive.  Lucky for everyone, Most self published authors, Artists, and Small Presses usually don't have to worry too much about extended licensing because I think the limit is somewhere around 500,000 copies before you need to repurchase.

EDIT:. I wanted to add that you CAN get legit stock images for free or very low cost that you can use commercially.  To do this, check Facebook artist groups for "free stock" promotions through legit stock sites like neo stock or marketplace.  Also, check stock site deals around Black Friday.  The stock is legit either free or extremely low priced, can be used commercially, and won't get you in trouble.  That's how I got my starting stock packs when I decided to jump into cover art.


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## SilverBardSings (Apr 12, 2022)

RGS said:


> This is something I've been very cautious about when making my covers. I might use an image I found online to "model" mine after, but I make sure that mine is created from the ground up, especially since they're for sale commercially.



Please see my above post.  It is SOOO very important.


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## RGS (Apr 12, 2022)

SilverBardSings said:


> Please see my above post.  It is SOOO very important.


I agree, so allow me to clarify. Let's say that I want an image of a boat on the water for my cover. I could either physically go out to a lake somewhere and do a sketch, or I can use guide images found online and draw from them.

When I say "draw," I mean that I use images as general guidelines. I won't take a found image and edit it. I only use it as a visual reference.

Some examples:

East Haven:




The mass in the background is a conglomeration of a few different images, generated by different programs. I drew the "jail bars" manually.

To Push a Pawn:




Clouds were generated by one program, altered and adjusted in another. The font was done in a freeware program, then heavily edited in another one, then some manual adjustments were made. I drew the pawn from the ground up.

Thumping Molly:




I drew "Molly" by using several images as references. I didn't use them in any other way, and trust me, the final image seen here bears no resemblance to anything I've seen anywhere. Manikins aren't generally quite this creepy looking. The background clouds were generated and edited, and the jail bars were manually drawn by me.

nostophobia:




Another example of using images as references. I drew the forest and the man, added the shovel and the ghastly "negative photo" (or similar) effect.

A Louder Gift of Love:




I more or less "drew" the font, used freeware to make the circular ripple effect (supposed to hint of an old record album). The background image is actually from a photo I took myself.

Tippenridge:




Drew the London skyline, drew the eyes peering from behind the title (in case you didn't notice that they were there), did heavy editing on the text to make it pop, in addition to manually drawing a lot of it. The ripple effect was done in one freeware program and heavily edited in another one.


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## RGS (Apr 12, 2022)

This topic reminds me of this:

*##Image removed for copyright reasons##*


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## SilverBardSings (Apr 15, 2022)

RGS said:


> This topic reminds me of this:
> 
> *##Image removed for copyright reasons##*


I mean, there is strong truth behind the phrase, "There's no new idea under the sun".  Artists of every shape and form usually take inspiration from somewhere else.

When it comes to artwork, especially cover art, one has to keep in mind that a lot of covers within a genre are going to look similar because current marketing research shows that THAT kind of cover is selling.  

Here's the thing: imo, there is no real reason to FEAR using stock photos for your cover or doing composite work for your books.  And if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself, you can always hire someone else to do it.  Quality book covers are PARTICULARLY important these days, according to market research.  This is because it seems most book marketing is done online... It's easier to get attached to a physical thing you see in stores (which is why bookstores are still popular), and it's even EASIER to get someone to buy something from you if your standing right there hand selling it to them (i.e. booksellers in bookstores, authors at author signings, car-salesmen...) but it's more difficult to get solid sales on digital shelves if you don't have a quality cover.  The book cover is the packaging.  It is the promise of what's inside.  It hints at all the things readers might desire hidden within it's pages.

So I see a lot of people worried about using stock images or trying to composite their covers... I get their worries!  But thankfully, I already did all the research for you.  I started going down that rabbit hole YEARS ago, and I'm all too happy to share what I know. 

There's no need to fear stock photos so long as you get them at legit stock sites.  Free sites are frowned upon because you can't tell what the actual licensing is or where the pictures came from.  Of the free sites out there, Unsplash is probably the most legit and offers a CC liscence of different types, but it's still good to be careful with it.  Treating something like that with kid gloves can't hurt... You know the saying; "never look a gift horse in the mouth".  There are reasons the free stock sites need to be treated with care, and it's best just to avoid them all together if you can.

However, sites like Depositphotos, Envato, Dreamstine, The Render Shop, and Neo stock, (etc...) Are all legit.  Depending on which site you use, you either register for a monthly fee, or just buy the stock outright. (I always prefer sites that allow me to buy outright if I need to). If your cheap like me, wait until Black Friday deals start popping up and then hit the stock sites for their deals. That's how I got my starting stock packs back when I was still trying to figure out how it all worked.

Thing is, you can OVER worry something too.   It may SEEM complicated, but it's actually not that difficult to follow the rules on how it all works together.  And honestly, if it's just not something that works for you, hiring out cover work is MUCH cheaper these days than it ever was before... Depending on where you look.  I have a SLEW of sites and artists I could suggest to anyone looking, all reasonably priced. And that's not including myself.  As an example, the bookcoverdesigner.com is a great place to look for affordable premade covers.  They've got THOUSANDS of premade covers at all price ranges.

so yeah, I get the point of the cartoon... But there's no real reason to FEAR that happening with the right information in your belt.


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## Splinter (Jun 9, 2022)

I write for a tech blog and about four years ago we published an article I wrote about the future of robots in society. In the article I used a stylish image of a robot in bed with a woman. 
Fast forward to last month and I received an email from the blog owner forwarding an email from a copyright claims agent asking for $2500 to settle the claim for using the image without permission.
There was no threat in the email, either implied or direct, yet the blog owner paid the cash-grab just to get them off his back. I even quoted 'safe harbour' to the blog owner, but he wouldn't listen.
Further research revealed that in most cases, one is asked to take down the image and move on, which is why I would certainly not have paid a cash-grab like that so willingly, especially since it was an unintentional breach of copyright in the first place.


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## Mullanphy (Oct 9, 2022)

Good article. Three additional comments, though:


Become familiar with DMCA. If someone claims to own copyrights to an image or text found online, the platform is required to remove it. The person who posted the image can file a counterclaim, and the platform must put it back up until/unless the original complainant provides evidence they are taking further legal action (lawsuit).
Copyright claims agents are big business because they want you to "settle a claim" that has not been adjudicated and they are  just trying to scare someone they think knows no better or are running a scam. Monetary claims for copyright infringement come through the courts after a lawsuit, not from some scam artist. Legitimate rights owners hire them because they take a cut of the money collected and are much cheaper than a lawsuit with the chance of losing and paying not just their lawyers, but the winner's costs, too. (I know, one tried it on me almost 30 years ago, but that's a different story).
Be careful of public domain claims. Anyone can post a picture of anything anywhere and claim it is in the public domain. Best bet is to verify the originator/creator has placed it in the public domain.

This is not legal advice. For issues concerning copyrights or any other intellectual properties, consult a licensed attorney.

*My personal rule of thumb*:

If I did not create it I don't use it unless I have a license or permission from the person/business that created it or document proof the creator placed it in the public domain.


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