Inspiration & Copyright

Designers often come across people that are ’inspired’ by their work. Not really, because they’re basically stealing it. A lot of people don’t know or realize that images from Google are not for general use. You can’t just rip a page from a magazine, create an envelope with it or photograph Fisher Price dolls, create cards and sell them as you own designs.

A lot of people respond with: ’Copying is the ultimate compliment’. But understand that this is our job and we put out heart and soul into it and we have to make a living off of it. But instead of a rant, here’s some information:

WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?
Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country, that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights to its use and distribution, usually for a limited time, with the intention of enabling the creator (e.g. the photographer of a photograph or the author of a book) to receive compensation for their intellectual effort. Source: wikipedia.org

My own interpretation: I put time and effort in the design, so it’s my property. I get to say what happens with and I’m always in my right to say if something’s ok or not. Basically the same as what Wikipedia says, but in simpler language.

WHEN DOES COPYRIGHT APPLY?
Always! Even if it’s not (clearly) stated on the image, it’s always someone’s property, so you can’t just use it for your own purposes (unless it specifically stated). Sometimes it can make a design ugly if you add a copyright, so sometimes designers decide not to add it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply!

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONAL AND COMMERCIAL USE?
Personal use is when you make something for yourself. For example cutting images from a magazine to decorate an envelope (you’re going to send to a friend). Commercial use mean that you’re want/going to (indirectly) make money off it. If you have your own business and are creating a flyer than you can’t just use a picture of illustration, without permission from the owner.

I get inspired by things I see around me, but always give it a personal touch. When I’m not sure, if it looks too much like something else, I won’t use it (or I’ll edit it). It’s totally ok to be inspired by other people, but always make it your own!

If you want to learn a technique, than you can use other people’s work as example to copy. But always give credit and clearly state that you copied it.

There is something to be said that everything has already been done before, so we’re basically all copying. But whatever you do: be inspired by never copy on purpose.