modifying pictures

[jewls636]

What is the name of your state? Delaware

Lets say i have a picture by an artist, and i would like to input this picture into a program, which will generate a chart from which i can stitch the design. What do i have to do in order to be able to sell the design based on the original picture?

 

[divgradcurl]

In principle, you are going to need permission from the owners of the copyrights of both the picture and of the painting. If the painting is in the public domain -- that is, if the copyright either never existed or is expired -- then you only need to worry about the copyright on the photograph.

However, in practice, if the painting is an old painting, like the Mona Lisa, for example, and you are using a typical generic photograph of the painting itself (and you are not using that photograph for anything other than generating the pattern) to generate the image, then you will probably be okay just going ahead with your plans. If the painting is a more modern painting, or if the picture you are using to generate your pattern has some special artistic touches or additions that make it unique, then you will need to seek permission from the respective copyright holders. Also, if you want to use the photograph itself for anything, such as on the packaging artwork or something, then you will need permission to use the photograph, even if it is a "genereic" image.

 

[jewls636]

Thanks for the response. I do have a few more questions.

I am trying to put toghether a site where i would like to take any picture i like, convert it into a stitching chart and sell it. I have collected many different photographs, from magazines, calendars, artists and so on.

Sounds like the best thing for me would be to take each individual picture and check to see if it has a copyright, and then get permission?

How do i start? How do i know where to look to see if there is a copyright and how do i get permission to sell my modified version?

 

[divgradcurl]

"Sounds like the best thing for me would be to take each individual picture and check to see if it has a copyright, and then get permission?"

Actually, every picture DOES have a copyright automatically. Some people take the further step of registering their copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office -- you can check their website and search to see if the pictures you are interested in have registered copyrights. Then you can contact the copyright owners and seek permission.

If there is no registered copyright, that doesn't mean that a copyright doesn't exist -- so you may bhave to do some work to find out who took the picture, and then contact them.

There are probably clearinghouses out there that can grant blanket licenses to use pictures, etc., but I am not familiar with any of them -- you might try a Google search on the web, look for "copyright clearinghouse" or something.

Good luck!