So this discussion is really getting me to think about what can be done to stop the theives because sadly, some may think the likely hood of your art being stolen is remote, take it from me, IT IS NOT! Now it’s in a lawyer hands and I’m likely to end up with a nice tidy sum for that arrogance on the part of the thieving company. I am STILL despiting a major company that continues to use my image on one of their expensive products after agreeing to cease production. However, like Mary Nash, I am having constant problems of theives stealing my work and selling on products. There is an ongoing debate about watermarking images. Some of you have been kind enough to send examples of your watermarking to give some ideas of your approach. Thanks to everyone for posting your opinions on this matter in the comments – you’ve made excellent points. What do you Think – Should Online Artwork be Watermarked?ĭo you watermark the art you post online? Why, or why not? Do you have counter-arguments that I’ve failed to consider? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Last year I interviewed Steve Schlachman, a prominent IP attorney – watch that interview here.
#How to add watermark in deviantart how to
If you have questions or concerns about your copyright and how to protect it, you should discuss the issues with an attorney who has experience protecting intellectual property. There are legitimate legal reasons to assert your copyright when you post your work online, but a general notice on your website or a caption below your artwork will provide the same benefit without diminishing the appearance of your actual artwork. These images would result in poor reproductions. Typically, the images you share online are pretty low resolution. The chances of your work showing up on t-shirts made in China is extremely low. While there is a lot of intellectual property theft occurring online, it’s good to remember that there is an overwhelming amount of art online. Viewers are less likely to share artwork that is watermarked. An important benefit of posting your art online is the increased exposure your work gets when it is shared. I would also argue that the decrease in appeal outweighs any protection you receive from a watermark. That marring of the image will just as certainly diminish the appeal of the piece to a potential promoter or buyer of your work. Think about what a watermark accomplishes – it mars the artwork to an extent that a would-be thief wouldn’t want to steal it to reproduce it. Having looked at thousands (probably tens of thousands) of artwork images online, I would argue that the appeal of artwork is considerably diminished by including a watermark. In order to achieve these aims you want to show your art in its best possible light. If you are sharing your artwork online, you are likely doing so in order to achieve broader exposure for your work, build recognition for yourself and your work, and generate sales. I would argue, however, that a watermark is a pretty poor way to deal with the problem, and that watermarks defeat the purpose of sharing work online in the first place. I don’t dismiss this threat out of hand, the theft of intellectual property is a very real problem. There seems to be a pretty widespread concern that posting artwork images online could lead to unauthorized reproduction or theft of the artwork. I am frequently asked by artists whether they should watermark their artwork before sharing it online.