And Then Came The United States Copyright Act Of 1976
Remember when I said that copyright was protected for a certain amount of years? I was being vague up there on purpose. In the United States, that period of time used to be 14 years . It is now extended to 70 years after the authors death. Thats due to;many;revisions to U.S. Copyright Law. One time in particular, a bunch of revisions;happened all at once: that was in 1976. ;Theres a lot of heat around this Act and Ill get to that a couple;paragraphs down but I want to give a quick example of the types of problems that did actually need fixing.
The distributor of;Night of the Living Dead;changed the films title at the last minute before releasing it in 1968. They failed to include a proper copyright notice in the new titles and in accordance to the law at the time it went;immediately into the public domain.;File that under whoops. That law was revised with the United States Copyright Act of 1976, which allowed a mistake like that to be fixed;within five years of publication. If youre playing along, thats about 3 years too late for Night of the Living Dead;and its;fate had been sealed.;Which is why I can link the entire movie for you to watch while you read the rest of this article.
Its more of an excuse to link one of the greatest horror movies ever made in an article on copyright which just happens to have been published in October than an actual cautionary tale, but whatever. I do have a point
However
Should You Copyright Your Art
Hereâs the thing: you know how to copyright a painting, but you also might be wondering if itâs worth it to copyright artwork, since copyrights wonât save you from the time and money youâll need to spend in court if someone does infringe on your intellectual property.
But first, there are some other elements to consider before you make a final decision on whether or not you should copyright your art. If the art you make is highly conceptual, abstract, or difficult to reproduce, it isnât as likely that some multibillion dollar company is going to swoop in and replicate your design. However, if youâre creating work with mass appeal that could conceivably be duplicated in a variety of ways, itâs going to be extra-important for you to copyright your art and designs.
Determine If Permission Is Needed
The first step in every permission situation is to determine whether you need to ask for permission. In other words, do you need an agreement or can you use the work without permission? Determining whether to ask for permission depends on two questions:
- Is the material protected under the law?
- Would your use of the material violate the law?
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to answer these questions with a definitive yes or no. Sometimes, you may have to analyze the risk involved in operating without permission. Below are some basic legal principles youll need to know. Subsequent sections explore these principles in more depth.
Is the Material Protected Under Intellectual Property Law?
You should always start with the presumption that, if the creative work you want to use was first published after 1923, U.S. copyright law protects it. There are only two ways that a work published after 1923 is not protected: Either the owner of the work made a mistake , or the work does not meet the minimum standards for copyright protection. Later sections on the permission rules for particular types of creative works provide guidelines to determine if the work you intend to use is protected.
EXAMPLE
Bill wants to include his recording of the song Give My Regards to Broadway on his website. Because the song was first published in 1904, it is in the public domain, and Bill can use it without obtaining permission.
Would Your Use of the Material Constitute a Violation of Law?
Read Also: How To Draw Anime Beards
Can We Sell Fanart Online Without A License
Many people wonder if selling fan art without a license illegal. It most certainly is. Every character you have seen and loved is the Intellectual Property of the creators. They literally gave birth to the character.
Hence, selling fan art of a popular character or anime series is no different from selling any other items. Now it does not mean you cannot make fan arts.;
Sure, fan arts are always appreciated by anime creators and enthusiasts alike. Still, any commercial intent of creation always invites trouble.
Can You Make Money From Reaction Videos
Yes, you can, but it is not an easy path.
The problem with reaction videos is they have a high chance of getting a copyright claim. If that happens, either the money generated from the video goes to the original creator, or you need to delete the video.
That is why a YouTuber must know the;fair usage policy;before creating such videos. The best thing they can do to play safe is sending an email to the original creator, asking for permission to react.
But then, they do not give permission to newbies as far as I know. If you have a good subscriber base with better views, the creators may provide their consent as it can give them good exposure.
So, a reaction video having the creators approval is the best way to monetize and make money without worrying about copyright claims.
Don’t Miss: How To Draw Anime For Beginners Step By Step
Do I Need A License To Make A Non
I am an experienced dev and my goal is to create an anime streaming site. I have made a custom CMS in Python but now need the content. When making the site, I soon realized that the content needs to be real and I don’t know how to get it.
I researched further into the field and saw that I need a license to buy dubbed, subbed or anything related to anime. After seeing this, I brainstormed and saw that it only said that to BUY anime it cost this much. A site named Crunchyroll does this and earns money from subscription fees.
I changed my mind and thought I could make a non-profit anime site without a license. Is this true? I’m not editing, changing or adding things to the manga/anime and will not be earning any money off it.
Simply put: Yes, you will need to license your content.
Whether it is for-profit or free of charge, you are still dealing with copyrighted content. If you want to distribute this copyrighted content legally, you will need to license it. When doing this, make sure the license terms actually allow this kind of distribution. Otherwise you are operating no differently than other illegal distribution websites.
You may see plenty of websites similar to yours that don’t seem to get mentioned. Take this with a grain of salt, a lot of similar operations employ various “tricks” to get around the law. Such tricks can involve hosting in a country with more lax copyright laws. Just because you see such operations doesn’t mean your plans will go just as fine.
How To Make Reaction Videos Without Getting Copyright Claim
When you click the links and ads on this blog, it helps me to pay the bills & keep this site free for you. Thanks for supporting me! For more info, read the Disclosure page.
In this post, you will learn;how to make reaction videos;for YouTube within 10 minutes. You will also get to know a few tips to avoid copyright claims on your reaction videos.
But before I begin, you already know the trend going on YouTube, where many people are giving reactions to different videos like movie trailers, short stories, music videos, etc.
As it is becoming popular day by day, many people would like to start their reaction channels. But the problem is, they do not know how it is made.
If you are too in the same boat, this guide will teach you how to make reaction videos using Vegas Pro software. So, without wasting much time, lets get into the business.
Recommended Reading: How To Draw Easy Cute Anime Girl
Work For Hire And The Freelancer
Work for hire is mostly talking about employees. If you work at an animation studio and your boss tells you to animate a dancing Hippo, thats work for hire and the boss or the company owns the copyright to the work you produce.
Freelancing is different. As a freelancer,;the work done may be considered a work for hire only if all of the following conditions are met:
- the work must be either a contribution to a collective work, a part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, a translation, a supplementary work, a compilation, an instructional text, a test, answer material for a test, or;an atlas
- the work must be specially ordered or commissioned
- there must be a written agreement between the parties specifying that the work is a work made for hire by use of the phrase work for hire or work made for hire.
So if you have an email or a contract with the words work for hire in it thats not enough to define it as a legal work for hire and all rights to the work will remain with the creator . Also, the agreement must be negotiated, though not necessarily signed, before the work begins. Retroactive work for hire isnt allowed.
So what is the client buying then?
The copyright! But not always all of it. I know, its circular but stay with me. This gets a little complicated so Im going to list out a couple;factors below.
- An original creative work and the copyright;to;it are separate things.
- Copyright can be itemized
Microphone For Audio Recording
Recording your voice through your smartphone or camera mic can make your voice muddy, which is a big turnoff for your YouTube audience.;
Therefore, I will suggest that you should invest a few bucks in an affordable microphone;that can record your audio crisp & clear.
As an alternative, you can also use headphones having an in-built mic in them. Being a viewer, I would love to watch those reaction videos where I can clearly listen to the Youtubers voice, or else I skip.
Also Check: How To Draw Anime On The Computer Using Paint
Can I Sell Anime Products
Selling Officially Licensed Products Owning an anime business isnt the same as just making some T-shirt designs based on your favorite characters and uploading them to Redbubble. If you want your business to survive after a few sales, youll need to get licensing from the copyright and trademark owners.
What Is Fan Art
Fan art is any artwork on any medium that features characters or scenery not originally invented or created by the artist selling the artwork.
This can be art, novels, short stories, merchandise featuring well known comic book characters. Even game, movie and cartoon characters in new surroundings or even a complete copy of a known image reworked by the artist.
Fan Art Commissions have been around since way before Betty Boop appeared on the sides of World War 2 Bomber aircraft so why the concern now?
Recommended Reading: Where To Watch Fairy Tail Anime
Alternatives To Getting Permission
If youre not up to the task of tracking down the copyright owner of the musical work, you can purchase a royalty-free license. Note that royalty-free doesnt necessarily mean the license itself is free, just that you wont pay royalties for using it. There are free royalty-free options, however. YouTubes own Audio Library is a good place to start. You can also search for pieces that are in the public domain and therefore free to use. Weve also written a comprehensive guide to finding royalty-free music to use in your videos.
Biteable makes it simple to add music to your videos without needing to track down a copyright holder. You can easily add a variety of audio tracks and stock music to your video from our free audio library, or upload a track of your own. Get started here!
Selling Original Anime Art
Original anime art features new characters that are created by the anime artist. The artist has carefully developed their own characters, and these characters cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
They have not been used in movies, books, or video games. The artist may also be making their own efforts to market their artwork.
You can sell your own anime art whenever you wish. There are no legal restrictions on selling your own original art, so you can use it in apps or on bags.
You can even provide other artists with licenses to use your work, and youll earn royalties from it.
Several professional artists have studied anime art for years, and they develop characters for video games.
Other artists who work in this genre of art develop new characters for movies, and they can earn from their work freely.
An artist may also be commissioned to paint an original anime character, and they are free to sell their work.
If you like anime art and you are interested in earning a living from it, you can do so by creating unique characters. These should not be based on an established series or a character that is already popular.
You can develop your own character from scratch, and any paintings, drawings, or other artwork that you do will be protected by the law.
Read Also: How Much Do Voice Actors Make Anime
What Do You Need To Make Reaction Videos
I am pretty sure most of the equipment is already available to you.
Though there is a chance, you wont have video editing software, but thats not a problem because you can easily find them online.
Here are the things you need to create reaction videos.
- Video camera or any good Smartphone camera
- Microphone for voice recording Or Earpiece with microphone
- A beautiful background
When Its Legal To Sell Anime Art
Selling anime art is only legal if it features your own original character or you have a license from the original creator of the artwork.
If you draw Goku in a different set of clothes and his features and hairstyle are immediately recognizable, you are not permitted to sell that artwork.
If you add a cowboy hat to Narutos outfit or create a video game that features him in a parallel universe, still thats not permitted.
On the other hand, if youre Navajo and you create a unique anime character based on Navajo traditions, you are allowed to make a profit from your work.
You can use the anime character that youve created on a variety of clothing for men and women and distribute that around the world.
You can complete commissioned portraits of your character in different settings or paint large-scale murals at universities, banks, and community centers.
If youre also an avid filmmaker, you can include your character in your films storyline and visuals. Youre free to give the film away or make a profit because you own the rights to the original character that youve created.
Sometimes an artist may have a great idea for anime artwork that features a character created by another individual.
It isnt illegal to use the character if you have a license to do so. Licensing does not affect the trademark holder negatively because they profit from all the sales of your artwork.
You cannot work on a video game and add your drawings of the character to that game.
Recommended Reading: What Does The Fox Say Anime
How To Sell Fan Art Legally
There are a few things you can do to sell fan art legally and not fall foul of the law.
If you want to learn what to do to get permission to sell fan art then have a look at my other post that goes into this topic in more detail How To Get Permission to Sell Fan Art
Will I Have Copyright Issues Making A Mobile Game Based On An Anime
I have been wanting to create a mobile game based on some of my favorite anime.
I want to know if using character images and names from those anime infringes any copyrights?
Would this come under “fair use” in the DMCA .
What are the possible things I can do for making this game? I have seen many online browser games based on anime which use images and elements from that anime, while I have also seen many games advertise themselves based on a anime but just use diffrent names for characters of that anime .
- \$\begingroup\$It’s probably not a good idea. Maybe nothing will happen, but if they decide to take legal action, they definitely have grounds for it. Using their character images, names, etc. is all copyright infringement.\$\endgroup\$;ashes999Nov 18 ’13 at 1:10
- \$\begingroup\$Read wikipedia entries on Copyright, Trademark and Licensing. Not only will you get a handle on how IP laws work, but you’ll learn how they can be used to protect your own ideas in the future.\$\endgroup\$
I am not a lawyer; the following is not legal advice. If you really want to proceed with this direction of development you should consult an actual lawyer familiar with copyright law.
Since long I have wanted to create a mobile game based on some of my favorite anime. I wanted to know do using character images and names from those anime infringes any copyrights ?
If you don’t know if its a copyright issue, then always assume that it will be.
What reason would the IP holder have to sue you?
Read Also: How Many Seasons Are In Food Wars Anime