Derivative works

[Jessy Daniels]

I am wondering if it is legal to draw an image that resembles M.C. Escher's famous lithograph of the hands holding pencils, but changes the hands so that they are holding computer mouses. All Escher works are copyrighted, by Cordon Art in the Netherlands. Do I need to obtain permission for this project to make logos for an educational project? Thanks.

 

[loku]

Escher drawing

I believe the drawing you plan would be a derivative work and therefore it would be a copyright infringement unless it qualifies under the “Fair Use” exception, which allows certain uses of copyright material for educational purposes. The determination of whether a use qualifies under this exception is not entirely cut and dry.

I would suggest you read Copyright Office Circular 21, “Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators. It discusses the problem and provides the guidelines for interpreting the law on this. The link is http://www.loc.gov/copyright/circs/circ21.pdf.