| I've been a freelance cartoonist and one of the | | | | here is enforcement. You have legal recourse but |
| questions I am most frequently asked is "how do | | | | it costs you legal fees to claim your rights. Unless |
| you keep people from stealing your ideas?" The | | | | your property is very valuable, it isn't worth the |
| simple answer is, I don't worry about it. | | | | cost. In addition I'm sure one would have to |
| For most novice writers and artists this is the | | | | prove they were damaged by the unauthorized |
| first question that comes to mind. I have to say | | | | use and the question becomes how much and |
| this: in over 40 years of cartooning I am not | | | | how? |
| aware of any instances where anybody ever | | | | Most people are honest and won't steal an |
| stole one of my cartoons. I'm sure it has | | | | intellectual property. If they do they rarely profit |
| happened, but the fact that I am unaware of it | | | | enough from doing so to make it worth the risk. |
| demonstrates that I have not been damaged by | | | | And here's another point: if you negotiate with the |
| it if it has happened. | | | | writer or artist you can often strike a deal |
| When you upload cartoons to the internet, you | | | | whereby you share in his successes. For example, |
| can put a javascript on the page which turns off | | | | I offer webmasters a cartoon page using my |
| the ability of the user to right-click and save the | | | | cartoons in a partnership arrangement whereby |
| image. With a program like Macromedia Flash I can | | | | they promote my cartooning services and I give |
| do something similar. I can import the cartoon into | | | | them commissions on the services I sell. This |
| Flash, insert an ActionScript command which | | | | works much better for everybody and there is |
| takes the reader to another frame of the movie | | | | very little reason for anybody to want to steal |
| clip, and thereby prevent right-clicking and stealing | | | | my cartoons. |
| the cartoon. These precautions cannot, however, | | | | I think the same principles can work for writers, |
| prevent a web savvy user from stealing your | | | | photographers, musicians and other artists. |
| cartoon. By viewing the source code one can | | | | Sometimes the effort you take to prevent theft |
| steal the link for the jpeg image. By using a | | | | just isn't worth what you give up in the process. |
| screen capture program one can lift the flash | | | | It's like owning a department store and keeping it |
| image as well. | | | | locked 24 hours a day. Sure, that will prevent |
| The only protection you have against | | | | people from shoplifting your merchandise, but it |
| unauthorized protection is legal protection through | | | | will also prevent them from buying it. |
| copyrights or trademarks. The problem you have | | | | |