First up, great site, very informative for an ink virgin like myself.
Ive been toying with the idea of a tattoo for a couple of years and am finally in a position were i really want it and can afford it etc.
Over this time ive been thinking about what I want and been looking at loads of tats. I had decided on the sort of thing I wanted when a painting by an artist twisted my train of thought. His art is fantastic and really captures the type of thing I want for my tattoo.
Anyway, what im wondering is, what are the copyright issues of me having one of his paintings reproduced as a tattoo?
Thanks
Darren
Hi
In law the copy of any image by electronic or mechanical means can mean an infringement of copyright or theft of intellectual property.
In reality there has not been a successful forced removal or criminal prosecution against a person who has used art that is copyrighted as a tattoo (ie the wearer of the image).
The only cases brought were where an artist had taken the image exactly and then was selling the image commercially as flash without permission.
The people who had the ink done were not challenged but the artists who were using the images without permission on a mass scale were. It managed to piss off the corporate owner of the image. Not so much for the tattoo aspect but the selling of image without royalties or permission. Even this was a rare case.
Many artists I have met have stated they are (or would be) flattered if an individual took their work for a one off piece and wanted to wear it on their body for life.
It is always polite to ask if able.
That said if you can prove that the image used is merely an inspiration but does not share the body of the orig works it then comes under the murky deriviative vs new art argument which is why ppl simply have never bothered to pursue it based on one offs.
So really shouldn’t have a prob with getting it done.
Take Care
Matthew
hi , to be honest i would not worry about it .
people only claim breech of copyright when someone has taken your work to make a profit from it.
if anyone used one of my images as inspiration i would be quite stoked that someone thought enough of my work to get it done 😀
however as an artist wether , painter or photographer its always nice to be credited for the inspiration 😉
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