Classmate Rosa Santana to whom I responded
04 May 2012
Week 1: Copyright Issues, PT1-3: Information Overload (To Copy or Not to Copy)
To copy or not to copy, that is the question. Copyright is a topic that many question and try to manipulate. There are many who have played on the borderline of copyright. It is a topic that not many are aware of or find too boring to read about. In my current workplace, copyright and fair use are not really touched upon. It is only mentioned twice throughout the entire program and only for a brief moment. This is an area in which myself and the other instructors would like to increase knowledge of. At the current moment, the students only locate images by searching through the browser and using hi-res images only regardless what the copyright now might be on the image.
I believe that one’s work should not be used or manipulated without permission from the original artist unless it is used for educational purposes only. There are many who have created some amazing pieces with other’s work. On the contrary, Moll (2003) believes that there are three levels to design and that one should “steal” to become a great designer. In the article, he is quoting Picasso who was known to have said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” The levels of design Moll mentions areLevel 1: Copy, don’t create; Level 2: Steal from yourself; and Level 3: Steal from discrete sources. He states that for him to have become a web designer, one should first copy other well-created designs. Then reuse one’s own previous designs that weren’t finished or used. The last level, Moll mentions to hide the sources used to create the design. He suggests to search through magazines, books, Websites, historical artifacts, cultural compositions and other rich design sources to find forgotten or unused ideas. I found this thought process to be interesting, especially with all the laws about using other’s work. I myself have mimicked another’s work but only to understand how the design was created. It was used as an educational purpose and not for commercial. What do you think about that?
When I was an undergraduate, I had taken a course called Business Practices within Graphic Design and we discussed the copyright laws. The instructor provided us with a great article that provided information on not only copyright but also trademarks and patents. It was definitely informational and can be overwhelming if it is not explained thoroughly. The class was engaging and many questions were asked during the discussion. Copyright can be tricky but it is something all should be aware of.
Sources:
Borchard, W. (2012). A Trademark is Not a Copyright or a Patent. Cowan Liebowitz Latman Attorneys at Law. Retrieved onhttp://www.cll.com/article-detail/a-trademark-is-not-a-copyright-or-a-patent 5/4/2012.
Moll, C. (2003). Good Designers Copy, Great Designers Steal. Sitepoint. Retrieved on http://www.sitepoint.com/copy-great-designers-steal/ 5/4/2012.
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