Forums » Newbie Central » Read Thread

So, I've been tossing around the idea of adding pics to my story game but before I definitely decide what to do i need to know one thing...

Will there be consequences in using someone else's art without their consent, say... Google- image search- copy- save- paste? I'm thinking this wouldn't be a big deal since I'm doing this for free, and nothing would be gained out of this so no need to set up royalties or ask for copyright permissions... right??

It will take extra long to draw everything myself... I would much rather surf the web and pick a frame that best fits my scene, lol.

Answered in the pm, but apparently there is something screwy going on with the pics in stories, but I haven't run into this, so someone else can tell you about that better than I.

Thanks again.

It's best to ask the Artist for permission before using the drawing, or buying the picture if it's that type. But I don't think there is a problem with it(other than being rude for using the picture without permission) as long as you don't try to publish your story on anything but free sites.

Maybe in the beginning during the exposition pages for the more hardcore gamers I'll add a credits page as well and copy- paste the URL's if i can't find the original artist. Would take a while longer but i wouldn't want someone else to copy-paste my story game as their own. Karma is a female dog... lol

I believe any image that is on Google Images, is in the public domain and can be used any way you like. Credits wouldn't hurt though.

Agreed.

Hang on. That's the first I've heard of this. I don't think that's true. I remember reading a blog  post somewhere that warned people to be careful about using images on Google Images, because not everything there is public domain. You have to go in advanced search and use the usage rights filter to see the images you are legally allowed to use.

Either check the license or double check to see if it's in the public domain. You can also get permission from the artist or owner of the pictures or pay for them.

This is also a source of public domain and free license media, including images: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

The internet is public domain. Giving credit is common courtesy, but in no way required unless specifically listed by the website.

Here, on chooseyourstory.com, any pictures or images are fine as long as A) It's not porn | B) It's not illegal

No, it's not? What definition of public domain are you talking about? I'm talking about the legal/official/whatever definition, which usually refers to something that has no rights on them, like things that are old enough to have expired rights. Public domain is different than publicly available.

I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't use images you find and use it in a here, but I will say that people that technically own a picture or copyrights technically do have the legal right to have you take them down unless stated otherwise or you have been granted permission.

To me (from what I understand), the main reason for all the licenses and copyrights in some artists work (because some don't care if you use their art) is to protect the creator (to ensure that he/she is indeed the original owner) and require payment from the person who benefits from use of the artists work.

For example: A big name gaming company tasks their concept artists with creating a look for the main character. One artist tries and tries but cannot come up with something good on his own so to have something by the deadline he copies a composition made by some hobbyist digital designer submitting the work via email to the director. Director likes the concept and runs with it-  then the big reveal shows the main character in a trailer. Hobbyist recognizes the look and reports theft. 

Where this could become an issue is if the look changed somewhere down the line of development because then the look won't be the same and therefor not plagiarized. Also, what happens if the artist never filed copyrights and his work really was 'public domain'? Obviously if the case stuck and followed through he would receive compensation by Royalty or Percentage of Ownership or They would flat out buy the rights to his work. 

Now, for the story game side of things--

We don't receive payment of any way, shape or form for doing this. This is simply a labor of love done in free time. Same thing for allot of the art floating around in the internet. If there so happened to be a copyright over someone's composition I've come to the conclusion that giving credit to the artist is only respectful. Because after all, I'm advertising his work for free in exchange of using it in one of my stories. 

One hand cleans the other. Nobody feels cheated. I get something, they get something. Everyone is happy. So long as im credited and receive the praise or reward for my work instead of the person who tries to pass it as theirs im happy. Copy and paste everywhere you would like, just make sure people know it wasn't you who created it, you only found it and decided to pass it along. To me, thats fair.

I WILL post credits for everything that is not mine in the story game. From one artist to the other.

After all, a good picture is worth a thousand words. X)

(I thought that was clever lol)

Realistically, no one is going to bug you about copyright for these games.  Personally, I've never seen or heard of any instance where an artist complained that their work was used without permission.

However, you are absolutely 100% wrong if you think that just because you're doing something for free, copyright laws don't apply to you.

It's also complete bs to claim that you're advertising his work for free by using it in your story, and therefore that makes it an equivalent exchange.

Copyright is not contingent upon profit or benefit.  You may not use another person's creation without their permission.  Period.    

What you are describing are the conditions for using work under a Creative Commons license.  Most work is not Creative Commons, and it will specifically state if it is.  (it's the cc in a circle logo)

Creative Commons licenses use one or more of the following rules:

Attribution:  You must credit the original creator

Non-Commercial:  You cannot profit from a work utilizing the content

No Derivative Works:  You may not change or alter the content in any way

Share Alike: You may change, alter, or adapt the content, but any work created must also be distributed with a Share Alike license.  (In other words, you can't put a traditional copyright on your work if it uses any part of a Share Alike licensed work.)

 

If the creation in question is not Creative Commons (or public domain) you may not use it without the owner's permission.  Doesn't matter if you credit the owner, doesn't matter if your work is "a labour of love," doesn't matter if you think you're doing the owner a favor by providing a wider audience for his work.  You cannot use another person's creation without their permission.

 

 

 

Gah, so much work for stinking photos...*facepalm*-smh...

 

Okay, so copyright is literally the right against copying lol. Now I know.

Creative Commons is more along the lines of what i though copyright was...

Then Share Alike... is... is... is...

Screw it! I'll just use my own damn art, lol. More practice xD

.

.

.

.

But that'll take forever... 

Maybe one or two wont hurt... If i credit them anyway... *cycle begins again*

.

.

. 

Screw it! I'll do it myself!!

Or, you know, don't illustrate your storygame. Personally, I'd rather read a thousand words (which really isn't that many) than see some picture you swiped off of Google Images. 9_9

It's just for visual aid. I enjoy seeing the authors version of the main character versus my own. I remember i thought Sturm Brightblade from the Dragonlance series was bald and clean shaven then *SPOILER!!* in his death scene they had him fighting epically against dragons with his "thick flowing locks" and his "bloodied musatache". IDK how i went 600 pages without catching that, lol.

this is him, lol.

 

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130807040523/rollplaydnd/images/0/0b/Sturm-Brightblade-sturm-brightblade-25158415-422-504.jpg

Go back and read Ground Zero again then. :p

Ground Zero's use of images is a little too much. Almost comical at times which was most likely the goal. Who wants to be serious all the time? I just want to use images in certain points to help visualize a character or scene or whatever. It adds more to the mood i guess. Its kinda rare for me to read something and feel like im actually there, you know. I cant remember what it was that i was reading but it was extremely scary. Mostly due to the authors ability to create a scene. Like to the point where i began to get chills and looked around my room for any moving shadows lol.

I don't think im that good so I'll add photos to aid in that aspect. That doesn't mean i won't try though.

GZ was the first time I was experimenting with placing images in a story. I felt a need to get a pic for every page... I really shouldn't have since I think it took me just as long to find "just the right pic" for stuff going on as it did writing the thing. Thank god for Vault Boy.

I think the pics work better in Necromancer, I didn't have to find as many for one thing and fantasy pics are pretty easy to find. Plus I outright altered some of them to get exactly what I wanted.

A crazy idea of getting pics for Eternal has gripped me at times, but there is just no way I'm going to search for 495 images. Searching for images really isn't that fun so I doubt if I'd ever do it for a story again.

I really like how you used the images in 'Necromancer'. That is kind of what made me want to incorporate images in a tasteful way while not forcing my version of the world on the reader. It really helped my artist side paint the tone of the world in my head from the images you chose. To me, it was advantageous and made the story easier to read because i wasn't focusing on how things looked. I just looked at the snap shot and let my mind fill in the blanks.

My problem now is dusting off my Wacom drawing tablet... Much harder than using a pencil and paper... At least with the ones without the screen in them. Those cost like $2,000.00, lol.

"Personally, I've never seen or heard of any instance where an artist complained that their work was used without permission."

My school district got charged because a student used a picture of a blueberry.

I think.

I would be willing to bet a lot of money it was a student that told you that.