ASCII ART and Copyright was Re: Need some rowing pics

In article <34B...@on.spammer>,
Veronica Karlsson  <dre...@on.spammer> wrote:
>Spunk1111 wrote:
>> 
>> I received email from Jackie--
>> She wasn't extremely happy about me sharing her
>> URL with the newsgroup.  Her collection has personal
>> significance to her and she has posted copyright
>> notices on her page.   Her pictures are lovely to
>> look at-- but she doesn't want people to use them
>> in their signatures...   Ooops, sorry to all that I may
>> have mislead.
>
>So what are they doing on the net then? If you don't want things to be
>seen don't put them out in public!
>

First, my apologies to Veronica for more input than what her short 
message demands, but I rarely visit this newsgroup and have never 
posted in this newsgroup and wanted to address other issues beyond her 
statement...
 
I didn't have a problem with sharing the URL with the newsgroup and 
nowhere did I say I didn't want my ascii art seen.  Nor does Joan
say that I said this.  My concern was with announcing them as a 
possible source for others to use in their signatures.  The graphics 
I create are from personal experiences and about the topic for which 
I have major interests... marine conservation and sea kayaking issues.  
I have not promoted my page to various search engines as an ascii art 
page.  It is one part of an entire site that is devoted to sea kayaking
and the preservation of our fragile marine environment.  I use my ascii 
creations as a magnet to more important issues (hopefully) and for the
community in which I spend most of my time.  I have seen my ascii 
graphics passed off by others as their own without due credit and in 
environments that are counter to the original purpose for which they
were created by me.  For this reason, I do not and never have 
promoted them anywhere other than in the marine and sea kayaking
communities where they are well known.  As the creator, it is my right 
to manage their use (as indicated by copyright law).  As well, it is
your right to manage your creations in any manner as you see fit.  That 
is *your* right and backed by copyright law.

I have been creating ascii graphics for about five years.  Someone
pointed me to the rec.ascii-arts group long ago.  I do not normally
read ascii-art groups as I do not wish to be influenced by what I see 
here, thereby avoiding possible creative mental block.  All my images 
are original and no part of them has been borrowed from another source.  
I am here now because my attention was brought to this thread.  Please 
don't misunderstand me.  I think this is an excellent group but my ascii
art is created with another purpose in mind.  I also think that the
FAQ to this group should be more descriptive with regard to copyright
law.  Most ISP's (Internet Service Providers) now specify in their TOAs 
(Terms of Agreement) that copyright violations won't be tolerated.  One 
reason this has come about is because of the number of business that have 
been shut down due to copyright violations (pirating).  It is a serious 
matter that should be discussed more in-depth in your FAQ so that 
readers may be adequately informed and educated.

I was also sent the following quote from another reader, posted by 
someone with the username "Sex Cow" but could not find the original post 
in any newsgroup to make appropriate response.  I think this is the 
proper forum, however:

> Subject: Re: CLAMS
> From: roo...@localhost.anti-spam.com (Sex Cow)
> Date: Wed, Jan 14, 1998 20:40 EST
> Message-id: <roo...@snews.zippo.com>
> 
> ASCII art is born, not created.  You can't OWN ascii art!  Once you give
> birth to it you have to be willing to set it free...
> 
> In article <4rb...@xemu.demon.co.uk>, Dave Bird---St Hippo of
> Augustine <Dev...@xemu.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> > The clams are by me Dave@XEMU, at the bottom of the 
> > "penguins" page, including some more cartoons not in 
> > the original posting.  The dancing devils at the end
> > of it are by B'ger.
>
> -- 
> http://sexcow.home.ml.org

Folks should check out the URL for sexcow and note that he/she, besides
copying other folks work onto his/her site without credit to the original
creator, has included images of his/her own to which he/she has added
copyright notice.  Interesting....
 
It is interesting to me that while the public would not expect an engineer 
to give up a design without compensation on a new and faster wheelchair or
automatic cup warmer, or a biologist to give up without compensation a 
discovery for a deadly virus or simple skin rash, or a software engineer 
to give up code without compensation, there are many who think that an 
artists creation belongs to the world at large without compensation and 
that recognition of the creator is insignificant.  Baloney.  Ascii artists 
ask the least compensation for the hard work that they create and that is 
simply in the form of recognition as they never expect, realistically, to 
receive one dime.  Much of it is placed here for the enjoyment of the 
public and the satisfaction to the artist that you appreciate their hard
work.  If there is no recognition, for many there is no point.  We are,
afterall, only human as the next guy.  Why bother with the hard work when 
you find it being passed off by someone else as their own?  Recognition is
not too much to ask.  There are ascii artists that don't mind if the public 
reproduces their work without due credit, but that is their choice and 
they are entitled to make that choice.  Users, however, should never 
assume that all ascii graphics on the net are open game.  Omitting credit
without permission could lead to a much higher price.

Regards,

Jackie (artist in multiple 2D and 3D mediums) 

p.s.  Thanks to the individual that pointed out I had not properly tagged
all my "<" and ">"   I think I have corrected all of them, now.  

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