ORIGINAL ARTWORK Copyright- Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
ORIGINAL ARTWORK Copyright – Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Not too long ago I read an article by a blogger who had used copyrighted photos without permission. What seemed perfectly innocent to her resulted in ugly legal repercussions.
It’s so easy with social media to pick out images as if they were free samples in a candy store, isn’t it?
From the other side of that fence, I’ve used some of my original sketches or snapshots to illustrate particular stories. Imagine my surprise when, more than once, these showed up on another blogger’s page.
My friend and fellow author Marie Gail Stratford recently shared important information for all of us who blog and or use social media. Click her name to read and be educated.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Thanks for sharing this on your blog, Rochelle. I don’t think anyone can fully understand copyright law in its entirety, but there are a lot of common sense guidelines that everyone should follow. I’m going to pursue this further in later articles. It’s also important to know what to do when something that belongs to you is stolen, and I barely had a chance to touch on that in this piece before it got almost too long.
All my best,
Marie Gail
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Dear Marie Gail,
You have a follower and grateful friend here.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I have to ask, did this other blogger at least cite their source or give you credit? Good info, Rochelle. Thanks for sharing.
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One of them did.
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Not the point you were making… but that Swan picture is great.
Now to go back and make sure all my pics are properly cited.
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Dear KT,
I’ll take comments like yours anytime.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, Thanks for sharing this vital information. 🙂 — Susan
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Dear Susan,
I think this can’t be stressed enough. It’s my pleasure to share it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I used a picture (in fact several) by other artists to illustrate my series on How Santa’s Reindeer got their names a few years ago. I credited my sources each time. One of the artist wrote me and asked me to remove it, which I did.
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Dear Dawn,
So far I haven’t had to remove a photo…but I did take down a whole story when a family member of the main character in my not so distant historical fiction lambasted me. Some lessons are tougher than others.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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oops! lol
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Thanks Rochelle! Every time I start getting comfortable or complacent something like this helps. I do use your photo with your 100 word prompts and links and your name, this is the right way to do it, correct?
I should just use my own photos, sometimes I use photos from Google that don’t have a copyright or name … possibly this might be a gray area but I thought that legit.
This is a big deal and I must get stricter on myself. Some sights use photos and share a lot, maybe they really are the owners of those photos and I don’t know it.
Thanks!!
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Dear Gardenlilie,
The prompt photos for Friday Fictioneers are posted with express permission to use within the parameters of the challenge. So you are doing it the right way.
I use photos from Google, too but only if they’re public domain or commons.
Thanks for reading and commenting .
Best wishes and shalom,
Rochelle
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I’d be furious if I’d displayed some original art and found it elsewhere without acknowledgement, but seemingly passed off as the work of another. I suppose whenever the same post is reblogged several times, there’s more of a danger of such things happening, probably by default rather than intention.
I know that WordPress suggests that you display a clear copyright notice in your sidebar, which I guess is a good way of clarifying to those whose understanding of the law is fuzzy.
http://en.support.wordpress.com/prevent-content-theft/
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Dear Sarah,
I was furious. But then, I hadn’t protected myself either. From now on though I will make it clear. 😉 Live and learn. I’ll be checking out the link. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s a minefield, isn’t it? If I want a quick illustration for my blog – or even for a charity poster – I use the ‘free images’ option on Google. Not the best artwork in the world but at least I’m not about to get sued!
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Dear Liz,
It is a minefield. I’m sure I’ve used a few photos I shouldn’t have.
Thanks for commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle, Firstly, your artwork is gorgeous.
I’ve had my photos turn up on other peoples’ blogs and I’ve seen them in Google images and had someone ask me if they could reblog and found one of my photos with their story. I suppose it’s a big compliment, but I do have a copyright notice. I’ve started putting a copyright symbol at the end of my posts, (when I remember). I also use your photo prompt each week for the friday fictioneers story, which is so much fun! Thanks LHN
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Dear LHN,
The photo prompt is given with permission. However, any other use of it needs to be done with permission from the photographer.
I’ll be more diligent in the future about copyright and ownership.
Thanks for commenting.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you so much, this is important. I can’t say I understood every word, but I shall keep it for reference. Great drawings!
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Dear Hilary,
I thought the article bore repeating in light of my own experience. In fact Marie Gail wrote it, in part, as a response to that.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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