www.geocities.com/sonnybergum

There is a good article in the Jan 2003 issue of The Artist's Magazine by Joshua J. Kaufman, page 71, on copyrights. If you are planning to sell your work, then I suggest you read the article before doing so.

Bob

If I copy a photo of an generic airplane (no identifying markings), using my own background, am I violating the photographer's copyright? . . .

Take it one step further, If I approach the or same (or identical) airplane with my camera and take a similar picture with similar lighting, am I violating a the original photographer's copyright? . . .

This leads to even more difficult questions: What if neither photographer knows who took the picture first? or . . . Is there a copyright on the airplane itself?

This is enough to make your head spin isn't it?

This is the web site of the Library of Congress US Copyright Office:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/
The 4 exclusive rights granted for visual art can be found under the link "Copyright Basics".

Another good page that on that site is helpful for answering some common questions.
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/faq.html

Many other questions can be answered on the following site:
http://www.nolo.com/lawcenter/ency/...7E6B5BD92AACD48
This site is less technical and easier to understand than the legal jargon found on the Official copyright office Site. Check out the link "When Copying Is Ok"

These two sites dispell many common misconceptions about copyrights.
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/copy_myths.html

I hope these links are helpful. Everyone should know their rights and lawyers are expensive. The one thing they will all tell you is if you are planning on displaying or selling something based on someone else's work, it is always best to ask permission first.

J. D.