Tips To Protect Your Artwork and Studio

Becoming a successful artist takes a lot of work. You need to have the talent and creativity to come up with appealing designs, and the education or skill set to bring them to fruition. Craftsmanship is a key part of appealing artwork. The details and care that you use to create are shown in your finished product. Sloppy or careless effort can be seen and decrease the value of the piece. Since making art is such a labor intensive, and deeply personal process, you need to take care to keep your finished works safe. Whether you work from home, or have a studio, you need to secure your space. And any physical pieces or online images should be safeguarded as well. If you are confused on how to make that happen, read on.

Secure Your Studio

Installing some basic protections can protect your studio from forced entry and theft. Use cameras on the doors and install alarms to go off if a door or window is forced. Keep everything locked up and store expensive materials, and art pieces of high value, in a more secure place such as a vault or lock box.

Know How To Handle Copyrights

After you have created your masterpiece, think about getting a copyright. A copyright will ensure that you have all legal rights to your work, and no one can reproduce or use it without your permission. For example, if someone shows an image of your art on their website, they would need to obtain your express permission, or possibly even a license, to do so. You may even be able to collect money in exchange for allowing the use of your work. A copyright is good for digital and physical products and protects both in the same ways.

Once you have copyrighted an image, you can pursue legal action, including taking someone to court, if it has been misused in any way. If you find yourself involved in a legal situation, be prepared and provide necessary documentation to prove that you hold the copyright. Documentation and any images will be noted by the court reporters Spokane, and made part of the record.

Avoid Legal Action from Misrepresentation

Know how to handle any artwork that you create that portrays known products or people. Just as you don't want your work stolen or used without permission, you need to follow the same rules. Get consent before you use anything that belongs to another person. In some instances, you can use someone's likeness in your art without their written consent, only if you are selling just a few copies. However, it's always best to ask first and avoid any trouble.

Protect from Piracy

If you share images of your work on the internet, then think about using a watermark before uploading them, or include lower resolution visuals with links to purchase quality prints. Digital theft is unfortunately common. Pictures are frequently shared to other sites or downloaded and used in other ways without permission. Think about including a statement that you don't approve of reproduction of your work to deter this practice.

Provide Purchase Options

While you are most likely offended and hurt by the thought of anyone stealing your art, in a way it is a compliment that your designs are coveted. You can prevent the need for anyone to take your art and images without permission by making your work readily available for purchase. Have prints of popular paintings for sale at your studio or link a sales page to images that are shown online.

If people can see that there are legal channels they can go through to obtain what they want, they'll most likely take them instead of risking getting caught in theft.

After all of the hard work you put into your craft, it's vital that you take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Don't make yourself vulnerable by not being prepared. A little forethought can prevent a lot of pain.