Fan Art and Copyright Issues with Visual Creator April Baird
Fan art is something that is very popular right now, but if you’re thinking of making these types of creations, there are certain things to take into consideration in terms of trademarks, copyrights, fair use and intellectual property. In this episode, Corinne Boudreau speaks with April Baird of April M Designs, a visual creator from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to share all about fan art and what you need to know about this form of expression.
Today you’ll hear about:
- What fan art is and how it relates to copyright issues and trademarks
- Why fan art is so popular right now and what to be aware of in regards to the concept of fair use or fair dealings in the context of commercial use
- Some of the ways that you may be able to produce your own fan art for sale
- A few of the risks associated with fan art production
- April’s advice for event organizers that feature fan art creators
Mentioned in the episode:
April’s Website, Instagram & Facebook
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For more please visit OnlineLegalEssentials.ca and connect with Corinne on Instagram at www.instagram.com/legalguidecorinne/
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Key Quotes:
“Because of these machines being so affordable, people can make things and then they think they can sell these things. What they’re failing to realize is that you can’t take a logo off of Google, print it, put it on something and sell it.” [April, 6:19]
“Copyright is meant to be a balance. It’s kind of a balance between protecting the rights of creators with other benefits that we think society should have. So we don’t want everybody to be able to lock everything down and no one to ever be able to use it.” [Corinne, 12:41]
“If you’re going to do fan art, make sure you put your own unique spin on it so you’re not infringing on [copyrights], and just make it your own. If you don’t know, just look around and see what other people are doing with it, and just be careful.” [April, 33:11]
