But how to keep your work from being ripped off? Or prevent others from claiming you stole from them?
How do you get all the upsides of sharing your work with the digital world, while avoiding all the downsides of having it copied and cheapened in the process?
Wouldn't it be great to spend some quality time with a legal expert who could clear all that up? You can. This Saturday. There are still a few seats left for The Tyee Master Class Martha Rans will be conducting on April 5 -- with lunch and a splash of wine included.
Rans is legal director of the Artists' Legal Outreach, which provides advice, information and education to thousands of B.C.'s creators. Her Vancouver-based law practice specializes in intellectual property, non-profits, charity law, incorporation, governance, privacy, employment, labour law and human rights. She also teaches artists and designers copyright issues at post-secondary schools across Canada.
Which means that for the price you might pay a lawyer of Rans's caliber for an hour of advice, you can enjoy a stimulating day with her, learning with kindred spirits navigating the promise and peril of the Internet for their creative enterprises.
Rans says people in creative fields often have misconceptions about copyright and fair dealing and protecting their work on the web.
"Those misconceptions are two sides to a similar issue. One, they think that because someone has posted something onto a website or on social media that they are offering it up for third party uses. For example, the recent case where a maker of purses just went ahead and scanned work by a Winnipeg artist. And, two, many creators appear oblivious to the terms of service on social media in which they are uploading content. You may not realize, for example, that you are agreeing to have the content served up as sponsored stories on Facebook."
Web: friend or foe to creatives?
Rans doesn't agree with those who blame the Internet for undermining traditional creative industries. Ample opportunities abound to parlay a web presence into bigger bank accounts. But she says you need to be strategic, well-informed and clear on how old business models are being undone. For many people producing their own creative products, she emphasizes, "It is not the 'Internet' that has undermined the ability to make a living. It is industry players who capitalize on unpaid content that have devalued creative works."
Rans says some major digitally related legal decisions in the United States could have sweeping effects on creative producers in Canada as well. That's one of the topics she'll be exploring in Saturday's class.
Is this class for you?
If you are still wondering whether you should enrol, does this description on the Master Class website sound like you?
"This class is for all creators -- writers, journalists, bloggers, visual artists, performing artists, photographers, musicians. Those with an interest in this field of law may also find this beneficial."
And here are more details from the website:
"In the age of musical remixes and creative mash-ups, how do we know what's fair to use or what others can use of ours? The Internet has made presenting and accessing creative works -- writing, art, music, photography -- easier than ever and this has major implications on how we choose to showcase our creative output. Copyright lawyer Martha Rans gives you the ins and outs of this thorny subject in her Tyee Master Class, Creativity in the Digital Age.
"From understanding copyright and its application for creators to explaining fair dealing and fair use, she'll unravel this shifting and evolving legal issue that needs to be a major part of your business as an artist. Using case studies and actual legal proceedings, she'll also delve into the wide open world of social media and suggest best practices when it comes to attribution and protecting your own work."
Don't delay, as seats are limited. Sign up now by clicking here.
And to learn about the entire eight-class Tyee Master Class Series being offered this spring, click here.
Source: thetyee.ca/
Author: David Beers
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