icv2 weighs in
Jun. 14th, 2016 11:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
davemerrillFrom the industry website ICv2, part of a column titled "Three Convention Trends We Could Do Without"-
Art scammers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen increasing attention to sellers of unlicensed prints and illegal copies of artwork in the exhibit halls of big shows, sometimes right down Artists’ Alley from genuine professionals selling original work. Selling unauthorized prints of someone else’s artwork is wrong for reasons that should require no further elaboration and it’s good to hear that some shows are starting to take a harder line on this. But there are shades of gray once you get past the black and white of out-and-out piracy.
For example, professional artists frequently sell works that feature characters they’ve drawn in comics or other media, but did not create and do not own. Perhaps they pay license fees to the publishers. Perhaps they have tacit or explicit agreements that cover these activities. Or perhaps not. Fans rarely ask their favorite Batman or Sonic the Hedgehog artist to sign a legal release when buying a Con sketch and artists don’t offer.
This kind of thing has been going on at Cons for as long as there’s been Cons and it benefits no one to crack down on it. Sure, IP owners have some risk exposure in this scenario if they don’t protect their rights, but no one wants to go around suing their own artists. Besides, they’d never recover the costs of litigation.
But what about semi-professional artists selling their “versions” of characters they don’t own, didn’t create and never worked on? These fan artists have been around cons forever too, but lately they seem more visible and more present. Some have cultivated a following on DeviantArt or Tumblr. A few of them are pretty good.
If they pay for their tables and fans want to buy their stuff, organizers may be tempted to see this as no big deal. After all, smaller shows need to fill their exhibit halls with dealers, and there’s a shrinking market for traditional collectibles as older, hardcore fans get turned off by escalating prices, crowds and irrelevant attractions.
If I were a professional artist, I’d be pretty concerned about this. Making table at shows is always uncertain. Is it helpful when cons roll out the red carpet for amateur competitors?</i?
Art scammers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen increasing attention to sellers of unlicensed prints and illegal copies of artwork in the exhibit halls of big shows, sometimes right down Artists’ Alley from genuine professionals selling original work. Selling unauthorized prints of someone else’s artwork is wrong for reasons that should require no further elaboration and it’s good to hear that some shows are starting to take a harder line on this. But there are shades of gray once you get past the black and white of out-and-out piracy.
For example, professional artists frequently sell works that feature characters they’ve drawn in comics or other media, but did not create and do not own. Perhaps they pay license fees to the publishers. Perhaps they have tacit or explicit agreements that cover these activities. Or perhaps not. Fans rarely ask their favorite Batman or Sonic the Hedgehog artist to sign a legal release when buying a Con sketch and artists don’t offer.
This kind of thing has been going on at Cons for as long as there’s been Cons and it benefits no one to crack down on it. Sure, IP owners have some risk exposure in this scenario if they don’t protect their rights, but no one wants to go around suing their own artists. Besides, they’d never recover the costs of litigation.
But what about semi-professional artists selling their “versions” of characters they don’t own, didn’t create and never worked on? These fan artists have been around cons forever too, but lately they seem more visible and more present. Some have cultivated a following on DeviantArt or Tumblr. A few of them are pretty good.
If they pay for their tables and fans want to buy their stuff, organizers may be tempted to see this as no big deal. After all, smaller shows need to fill their exhibit halls with dealers, and there’s a shrinking market for traditional collectibles as older, hardcore fans get turned off by escalating prices, crowds and irrelevant attractions.
If I were a professional artist, I’d be pretty concerned about this. Making table at shows is always uncertain. Is it helpful when cons roll out the red carpet for amateur competitors?</i?
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no subject
Date: 2016-06-14 06:44 pm (UTC)The whole article is pretty interesting, it's surprising there wasn't any "that anny-may junk is invading our comic cons!!!" bluster.
I think,and I'm reading between the lines, the author is a tad more concerned about professional artists (obviously published by a Major and not 'Stupid Comics' fodder) being able to make money vs. all those others, and that does get a bit muddled.
I mean, Jack Kirby selling posters of Captain America or Mister Miracle, f**k Marvel and DC, take my money.
(but you know, when he was 'retired' I think the only things he sold was his original work, but he'd do sketches of his Marvel and DC chara.)
But does any of the current crop of comic artists selling a Batman poster, is that any different from what the folks in the AA are doing? Maybe if they have a prominent sign stating they do so with the knowledge and agreement of DC Comics but man, I can't see Warner Bros legal department being cool with that.
I guess my question becomes, why do people buy AA tables and turn them into a craft fair? Aside from the obvious "they can make money", I get that, duh. Is it just natural selection in action? "I have this original comic that nobody will even look at but my Bugs Bunny as Guts from Berserk poster sells like mad, which should I promote?"
It's ALWAYS been the problem of the original creator. Even at big deal 'zine cons, small press stuff, there's plenty of frustrated and depressed people just sittin' at the table watchin' butts go by.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-14 08:55 pm (UTC)I know there are two or three people in the Atlanta area that had some really nice stationery sort of merchandise, all-original work, no IP theft involved. It's a pleasant thing to see, to be honest.
It's tough to shift the gears in my brain from 1998 mode. The AA was literally people sketching Sailor Moon or whatever and selling the sketches from tables set up in the hallway. My brain still thinks of the Artists Alley as hallway tables set up as an afterthought, filled with people who come and go. It's not that way and hasn't been for years, but it takes a specific effort of will to wrench my thinking out of it.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-20 12:56 am (UTC)That's getting muddled in other issues, but it is a big one. The Artists Alley should be filled with the person who actually produces the art selling their work. Not by people selling prints and posters of other's works, claiming it to be their own.
It is a bigger issue at the 'Comic' shows that bring in the artists. I've been working with Cat (who now runs the AA at AWA) to make sure we don't have this happen at our show.
Huge red flag is the number of art styles on display at an individual booth. While some artists are good mimics, they won't be doing that many different versions of Batman or Naruto...
no subject
Date: 2016-06-20 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-20 08:19 pm (UTC)What I would love to see is some Keane style showdowns where the ripoff folks have to produce a sketch on the spot alongside the artists they are ripping off. Would pay money to watch those go down.