Giving Credit & Copyright Law
A year ago, Bead & Button Magazine published a copyright-free article on Beaders' Ethics. You can find the link on the right of the screen (under "Frequently Asked Questions") and now, probably on many beaders'/artists' pages too.
In the latest edition of the magazine, there is also a very interesting editorial (pg 8) on giving credit to those who have inspired or taught us, as well as an informative article on copyright law (pg 73). Though the copyright story is US-centric and Singapore law is slightly different, it still makes for an insightful read.
The biggest lesson I learnt from the two pieces was: Give credit where credit is due. Not as an afterthought when the inspiration for our piece finds out we were inspired by him/her and certainly not because it's "fashionable" to proclaim we're an ethical beader/artist (saying something and DOING something are different) ... but because it's the right thing to do and it can only serve to make our craft better :))
UPDATE:
OK, I'm a huge busybody :)) If you're wildly interested about Singapore Copyright Law and the Internet, a good site to check out is the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore: http://www.ipos.gov.sg/Main/indexpage/index.html
Then click "About IP" --> "Copyright" --> "Frequently Asked Questions". Near the bottom of the page, you'll find a section on Copyright and the Internet.
Happy reading!
4 comments:
Giving credit where it is due will definitely make the local crafting community a much happier one, but sometimes two people can have very similar ideas at the same time, inspired perhaps by the same item, scenario or person without realization. I remember asking for a custom earring from another crafter and she mentioned that besides me, another lady also asked for the same design. I was utterly amused.
Hi Wan! I agree with you and have been in a similar situation myself, many times. Coincidences *do* happen, and often at that, especially since we generally have the same sources of raw materials :))
That said though, I do believe that where feasible, it is only right that credit should be given where due.
For example, I'd feel weird if I didn't credit Eni Oken for the pieces where I used her techniques from her tutorials.
Or if I see someone using floral motifs in their creations and I am inspired to try that too (in a different way), I'd mention it, crediting the source, even if the item i was making was not for sale.
So in cases where coincidence is ruled out, I feel it's best that we be generous of heart. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain :))
OK, ok, I'll get off my slippery soap-box now. I think I had too much sugar today :)))
I once asked someone to custom-make something for me and she ended up making an entire series out of that semi-precious stone. I understand that it makes more sense to bulk purchase materials - hence the entire series.
I was a little disappointed that she didn't acknowledge me. But it's a small matter cuz I didn't exactly inspire her design-wise, just merely the material. What was worse was that she even completely forgot about my order. :(
I've stopped buying things from her.
Hello Siru! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and providing another perspective from a customer's point of view. I'm sorry you didn't have an entirely positive experience.
Post a Comment