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Can characters really be copywritten?

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at 21 Oct 2006: 19:40

article by nothingkat

2Report(capped)
Xenofur at 21 Oct 2006: 20:30

and next time you post the link instead of making me edit out your shitload of copypasta.

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at 21 Oct 2006: 20:54

wow, thats one cold warning... exactly how long were you a mod before working with furs destroyed your warmth and soul?

4Report (sage)
Psaakyrn at 21 Oct 2006: 21:48

Well, technically he/she would've been breaking copyright by copying it exactly without giving references and acknowledgement, and I'm inclined to believe that was the case. It would be highly ironic to break copyright on an article discussing copyright..

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at 21 Oct 2006: 22:16

>>4
at the bottom was "-artical by nothingkat", Xeno didn't like looking at its length I guess

6Report (sage)
Psaakyrn at 21 Oct 2006: 22:24

My mistake then. Still, a post like this serves no real purpose, unless someone wishes to discuss about copyright (yet again.. I think we've done this enough before?).

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Raven at 21 Oct 2006: 22:41

I don't think anyone wants to come to /dis and see something that big which they are forced to scroll through in order to view other topics. There's also no reason to copy and paste something when also providing a link. It's obnoxious and a waste of space.

This has come up more than once and there are times it seems a little troll-esque. So if you want to share something like this, just use common sense and do it in an appropriate manner. Is that so hard?

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Havoc at 22 Oct 2006: 04:41

What do you mean "Can characters really be copywritten?"

It's a clear provision in international copyright law. Characters are the intellectual property of the creator, and characters cannot be used without the creator's permission.

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Psaakyrn at 22 Oct 2006: 06:21

>>8
True, BUT you've to clearly create a character for that to apply, which was the whole point. i.e. 1 image isn't going to be sufficient for copyright to take effect for your whole character. Additionally, by commisioning an artist, you are gonsidered to have given permission to the artist, UNLESS you clearly state that all rights of the image is transferred to you as well.

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at 22 Oct 2006: 07:39

"ZOMG CHARACTER THEFT!" states a very important part about most people's view of their characters.  If one artist draws a nakked fur with a similar species / coloring pattern, and another person cries character theft, then you know they only view their character based on raw appearance, and don't consider that personality matters, too.

Besides, it's also important to add certain quirks to a character to make them more identifiable than merely being neon-pink.  Otherwise we could have Larry Niven cry, "ZOMG!  You stole my concept for Kzinti with your feline humanoids!" at furry fandom as a whole, which would be downright silly.

The short and skinny: Get over it.  If you wanna get mean, steal the pic and post it as if it _was_ made for your character (not as if you had made it).  Sure, that's illegal, but the absolute worst you'll get is a cease and desist letter, unless it's Bernal's art.

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Treforce at 22 Oct 2006: 13:02

wait...is there a copyright on the "sickmen" aka: Stick Figure?

12Report (sage)
Psaakyrn at 23 Oct 2006: 04:16

>>11
 No because stickmen lacks the inherent detail to make them unique.

13Report (sage)
at 23 Oct 2006: 07:59

Indiana Jones can be copyrighted [note: that's the proper spelling of the word]. However, that does not mean that all slouch hat and leather jacket wearing adventurous archeological professors that wield whips are covered by that copyright. Dress Harrison Ford up in his Indie costume, give him a mustache and rename his character Hymie Schwartz, Two-Fisted Druggist and it's no longer Indiana Jones.

Copyright of characters is very, very restrictive and slippery as it gets, which is why most rely upon trademark to protect their character. Copyright requires only that the thing being protected is not copied more or less exactly. Change style or a detail or two and you're home free. On the other hand, trademark requires that things be unique enough so you can't confuse one for the other.

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at 8 Nov 2006: 01:52

http://www.publaw.com/graphical.html

... opionins from, like, real lawyers, OMG.

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at 8 Nov 2006: 10:42

>>14

ROFL You win the thread dude.

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at 8 Nov 2006: 14:08

>>14

Everyone on the internet has a law degree.

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at 8 Nov 2006: 21:37

Can characters really be copywritten? Depends. Can articles written by nothingkat ever NOT sound condescending?

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itoril at 8 Nov 2006: 23:10

>> "Xeno didn't like looking at its length I guess"

Lol.

19Report (sage)
Fox Lee #vQjAI2qoik at 9 Nov 2006: 21:27

..."Copywritten"?

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at 9 Nov 2006: 23:40

>>19
Yeah, dumb. It should be "copyrighted" :)

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