The Artfish : Copyright issues or Pile Ups II

So recently having discovered this creative game to play, D fashioned this image from an
ORIGINAL IMAGE capture by ☆ ღ Skip Staheli ღ ☆
This photo was edited for the SL Picture•Pile•Ups group. See something you'd change? join the group, download the pic, and edit it your way


However, being that the modifications to the image were for all intents and purposes - not something that is obviously, glaringly different from the original; D started to idly wonder about claiming the image as a new original piece of art…

What makes art to begin with? Well that through the course of a rather lacklustre meander in tertiary education - is no easy thing to answer. In essence, art is an activity that humans engage in as an expression of sentience. Art for the masses captures the zeitgeist of the age. Art is changeable in interpretation and differs from creator, to audience, to curator. It alters perception and is powerful given context and purpose. It can also be whimsical and frivolous. Although art speaks, not everyone has the inclination to listen.

Nonetheless,  this isn't written as a treatise on what may or may not be art; but just a short blub into what intellectual copyright is and when those rights are waived for the sake of allowing new "art" to be created.

These are certainly different times and most people do not actually bother with; or are otherwise often ignorant about copyright licenses. It's a sticky issue given how global the internet is and how such legalities seem irrelevant that is until they become relevant.
Say for example, if an image of yourself or of your creation is otherwise replicated or misappropriated.

Some relevant jargon :

Public Domain - is used to describe works available to be used without license owing to any of the following reasons

1. An expiry of intellectual property rights
2. A forfeit of intellectual property rights
3. Where such works are not protected by intellectual property laws

Copyright - is a legal term meaning " The right to copy" and refers to the concept of exclusive rights to  the author of an original work as their intellectual property for a defined period. It also expresses the right of the copyright holder to be credited for a piece of work; and to bestow on them the right to determine other uses of such a work as they may be adopted, modified or benefitted from and etcetera.
In most countries copyright is regarded as a private right and automatic for the originator of the work to claim for his or herself.

Cue a relatively modern invention called - The Creative Commons Licence
In short, it is a legal disclaimer that enables you to control the way in which your intellectual property or copyright may be licensed. It makes clear for abundant reasons how others may treat your creative works although this may or may not become relevant in the general scheme of things.
It is still just a good little thing to know...