Artwork: Show Off

First, I'd like to remind everyone about the Copyrightlaws and Arttheft and the part about pictures found via Google.

When you are making a character to roleplay on the RP boards here, please try and avoid use pictures that you have found with GOogle Search or other similar image search. This is because in 90% of the cases, these are characters other people have made, and therefor they are copyrighted to them!

This is simple, you see a dragon rp you want to join and go on dA to find art and you find this Dragon
Which you decide to use, because you liked it's design. That's a big nono. That character belongs to someone, in this case, it's my dragon character. This is a big NONO

If, however, the character you found, was YOURS, just drawn by the artist, this would be fine. So if I wanted to join a dragon rp, and decided to use Jules, I'd use that or her regular reference. But it would be fine, because it would be my character.

SO, the moral is: If the character art you use is not yours, (either drawn by yourself or by someone else for you), DO NOT USE IT

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Well then, if this isn't allowed. Dully I say, none the less. What shall we do then, hm?

Tsuks (Fixed xD.)- Most of us cannot ask permission, or to shy ect.

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I'm Tsuks, not Bob. Just have Bob's art of my character as my tag.

You certainly can ask permission. If you cannot, don't use the image. Simple. If you're too shy, that's not anyone's problem but your own. Believe me, I'm terribly shy as well, but I get over it to do the right thing.

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Twilia - That's a very bad way to look at the TOS. The Term of Services are our laws here. Everyoen, including Moderators have to follow it.

The TOS is here to protect you, me, Exhibited and ARTISTS, there is simply no way to bend the rules.
Bending the rules = Breaking them.
Making rules suit your needs = Bending them.
Not following them to the letter = Breaking them.

And, well it's stated very clear in the TOS:
"If you don't agree with the TOS, you must stop using the site immediately."

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Well how I think about it is theft is theft, plain and simple. I know some people on here are young and may not know what they are doing is stealing but still.
Personaly I like the rule that we had on another game that went something like this " You can not use a RPG character art UNLESS you have someone make it for you by scratch and the person that made it for you must put all their credits somewhere on their art work before you can use it. If you did not have credits on the image then Mods were allowed to delete the avatar,reset the page or delete the post that had the image on it."
I liked this but it put more work on the Mods and it was a bit of a hassle but at the very least it was something and it worked

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If you can't ask, or are too shy, then you shall have to go without the artwork, I'm afraid. Not asking does not mean you can ignore the existance of the ToS.

Commission someone to draw your character based on a description, draw it yourself, buy artwork and make it your character or have a detailed description.

There's many ways to achieve things without breaking the ToS.

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Its been a while since I rped but when I did Id generally just include any important details about my char in my opening post. *shrug* works well in WoW, where you cant post art anyway XD;

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Herb - Very bad way to look at Tos? Ugh..again, jumping on me about something. -Sigh.- I never meant to break the rules, never will I be such a trouble maker, Yet again.

Kit - That brings a few thing sup.

1. I cannot pay for art.
2. I can not have an account on Da, mother forbids it.
3. As for being shy, well it doesn't help any none the less. 'Oh get over it.' No not gonna work.

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Twilia - We respond to what we get, you posted something that made it seem like you see the TOS as guidelines rather then rules.

1. You can ask if people are willing to get paid in EXD or Scales here. I'm sure there are some artists willing. Or you can ask if someone can help you colour free to use lineart.

2. Some artists have other means to contact them outside dA.

3. Nope, but neither is avoiding things. I'm shy, but I still make sure I only use art I'm allowed too.

If you have not asked an artist for permission or they have said no or have not responded, then you do not have the right to modify, display and distribute their work.

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We're not jumping on you for anything, but we have to enforce the ToS. And if you see it like that, I think it's our duty to correct that.

Art is not just bought for USD. It's not terribly difficult to save up on various sites and buy art. I rarely pay real money for it.
As for the other two, there's absolutely nothing I can do. Either way, it doesn't justify it.

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No I do not see them as guidelines, well what use would there be if they simply were that?

Anyway - How am I going to find someone willing enough to draw/line/color a dragon pic like that? x.x. Let alone not with insanely high prices on here? When I'm looking for -good- quality art.

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You'll have to figure that out yourself, I think. Either way, it's away from the topic. The point is, we will be enforcing this, and there are no excuses.

I've been speaking to several artists about the given situation, and their opinions have so far all been the same.

"Exactly. Art theft is still art theft no matter how the art is used. I for one know that I wouldn't want anyone using my art without my permission. Not that I would grant it. I create most of my art for personal reasons and the thought of someone using it for their own whims just disturbs me."

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twilia, if you want i can do a low priced art piece for you~ so you can have a legal piece to put up

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I am becoming exasperated with this; it seems my limited energy, considering the current state of my health, has been ultimately wasted. People simply refuse to open their eyes and look at something froma different perspective.

And HERE'S A NICE LITTLE THOUGHT TO CONSIDER. Shall we say, one makes an RP form, and instead of posting the picture, describes it in the best detail possible. The ToS doesn't say anything about this, but with you people's argument you could call this stealing ideas.

For that matter, using this line of reasoning you could win a debate on whether writing a FANFICTION is legal!

Not to mention the fact that some people are simply just too stuck-up and too idiotic, too selfish to let an innocent child admire and use their work. It's like they cling to that one stupid little photo as if their life DEPENDS on it.

>.>

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If you want good art you kinda have to pay for it :/

And i think its insanely cheap here. I mean i haven't really seen any artworks that sell for more that a few scales or heafty sum of EXD(which isn't all that hard to get really) on this site ): I mean if a scale is .50$ Then an artist getting payed only 1-2 dollars (if that) for a piece of art that can sell for 5$ or more.

Think about it from the artists perspective, it can take a LONG time to finish a stunning piece. I'd like to be payed for my time and effort.

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And yet, people seem to think that justifying the theft of, say, the Mona Lisa, is fine.

This will not change. It's in the ToS. It is art theft.
There is no room for "perspectives" on this.


If you don't agree to the ToS, then you shouldn't be playing. Mainly because we will enforce the ToS, whether you approve or not.

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