Legal Question

[Tograblah]

Hi, i just signed up to ask this question..... i like to have Avatar/Sig Pictures on Forums, and to do that i've been usually just downloading pics i find from Google searching, hosting it on Photobucket, and using it from there....

I'm suddenly wondering if such is OK to do.... i'm not a lawyer or anything..... i'm not claiming it's mine or anything, just using the image as an Avatar or Signature in Forums.

Sooooo any legal experts (or w/e level of legal knowledge is required to know the answer ehehe) know if doing that is OK?

I figure that by downloading, uploading to Photobucket, and using the image from there, it would save the source site(s) from whence the images came some Bandwidth.

My gut instinct is that it's fine, since the images all came from publically viewable sources, and i'm not trying to say they are MY work - just putting them as Avatar/Sig in Forums.

Still, i'd like some conformation on the front .

If my current way isn't ok, is there SOME way to use images from sites such as this for Avatar/Sig in Forums?

I'm very sorry if the answer to this is in FAQ or somewhere.... i did a bit of browsing what i felt would be relevant areas, as well as a Forum Search, but didn't find an answer .

[Edward_Elric_1308]

I suppose it's okay, as long as you don't claim any ownership to the image.

[Tograblah]

Aight koo, thx, and no worries heh i just like to have Avvy/Sig's of my fav Chars from Anime/etc & wanted to be sure my method wasn't violating any laws.

One step further tho - is it disrespectfull of the Artist to do this?

If it'd be good to do, i could try to put something in Signatures mentioning the creator of the the work(s) that i put up as Avvy/Sig in that Forum.

Could get a bit tricky managing that, but if it'd be a good thing to do, i can sure try .

Sry on slow response (and thanks for your prompt one btw ), tired as can be and i re-read and re-write posts too much heh.

[Edward_Elric_1308]

No prob.

You could say who the artwork is done by (who it is copyrighted to). But, don't plan to do it in your signature HERE because the profiles are down, and the admin can't fix it for the time being.

[Tograblah]

Okeez, ty again Edward - i'm gonna see if i can now re-trace my steps backwards and find the creators of the pics i'm currently utilizing for Avvy/Sig's .

Heh in some cases i think they are just copies of single frames from actual Movies/TV Series or Covers for such Products (applies to images i got from OTHER sites, i know this is all Fan Art ).... but for those that are not, i'll do my damndest to associate the Artist to the Art.

Could you offer any suggestions as to how to provide the association? I'm currenly thinking a Link to their Profile on the Site from whence i got the Image, or something like that -sound good?

I may not respond (or at least not for a while), as i'm now going to try and see if i can't get names tagged onto the actual Image Files for starters heh.

[Edward_Elric_1308]

Sounds pretty good to me.

A link or a detailed description would be okay. But, if you are using a person's artwork as an avatar, you must first [b]get permission[/b] from that person so you can use it without them finding out and accusing you of stealing it. I would not go and use a person's artwork as my avie without asking them. That's like plagarism.

If you want to use, let's say, a screenshot of an anime for your avie, state what anime it's from, and who the creator of the anime is. That way, you prevent your self from violating any copyright laws.

There. I hope I helped you enough. Good luck.

As for me, I'm going to bed. Night.

[Tograblah]

Heh i found a site that's dedicated to providing images with the expressed intent of them being used as Signatures/Avatars, so i'm taking that route.

Turns out i was absolutely right on one front tho - it's highly preferred one does NOT provide a Direct Link to the site that had the original image, as it does INDEED burn bandwidth (some forums even ban for doing this).

So eh at least i was doing the right thing with downloading and uploading to Photobucket lol.

I think i've attended to everything now, so likely gonna hit the sack myself.

As the primary reason for me signing up here has been resolved, this may turn into a Ghost Account..... if any admins desire, feel free to delete it - i'll remake it if needed at a later date .

[Stratadrake]

- Copyrights are generally not a problem when it comes to user avatar images, as FAC avvies are pretty small. It's still a good idea to ask for permission though.

- Bandwidth is not an issue either, since all avvies must be uploaded from your computer, you can't direct-link it from another website.
_________________
Strata here: [url=http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/242293]Nanowrimo[/url] - [url=www.fanart-central.net/user-Stratadrake.php]FAC[/url] - [url=http://stratadrake.deviantart.com]dA[/url] - [url=www.furaffinity.net/user/Stratadrake/]FA[/url]
[size=9]Disclaimer: Posts may contain URLs. Click [url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife]at your own risk.[/url][/size]