Who owns the rights....?

> In fact, the artist would have to sign the
> rights over.

> There are many types of rights, including
> "first printing" rights,
> "First North American rights",
> "First world rights", as well as
> "digital rights" and so forth.

I did not know there were so many different "rights"! "Digital Rights" intrigue me. Does this mean that even posting a picture of the art piece on the web could be in violation of someone's rights? Does anyone know where I can get additional information on these "rights"? (Especially digital rights)!

> It's impossible to predict what the artist
> will do -- depends on how knowledeable he is
> about subsidiary rights.

> And no printing company will touch the work
> for reproduction without a signed statement
> saying that you've acquired the rights.

> Does this mean
> that even posting a picture of the art piece
> on the web could be in violation of
> someone's rights?

Yes. And in fact, you may NOT be doing the artist a favor, since you're enabling other folks to use the art. Not all countries agreed to the international copyrights treaties, so it's easy for someone in China to take what you post, print and use it in a book, and sell the book. The artist can't fight that.

I know of one artist who had his work posted with no credits on the net by a fan. The artist's work was used in a book printed here in America -- no credit, no payment, and he couldn't prove the work was his. Another had their work distributed as "free art" and THAT art ended up on a Corel clip art disk.

> Does anyone know where I
> can get additional information on these
> "rights"? (Especially digital
> rights)!

Here ya go:
http://www.rexx.com/~jaguar/copyright.html