Saturday, January 21, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Why S.O.P.A. is Bad For The Whole World
While I believe that every copyright holder should have legal protection from Pirates, Thieves, and Plagiarizers, I also believe in due process of law. Therefore, I have very serious objections to the Stop Online Piracy Act.
Innocent Until Proven Guilty is the foundation of criminal law in the United States and many other countries as well. In other words, when someone accuses you of something, they actually need to provide proof before you can be arrested for it. Most people agree that this is a Good Thing.
Right now. if a media company like Electronic Arts thinks a user on a website is distributing their product without permission they have to follow a procedure. I've simplified the steps that need to be taken for you.
Step One: contact the individual and ask them to remove the content/item.
If they comply, no further action is needed. Some will ignore the nice approach, which is why there are other ways to get the content off of the website. If the content is blatantly illegal, or on a user-driven mass media site this step is usually skipped.
Step Two: Contact the Site Owner and ask them to remove it.
Mass media websites like Youtube and Vimeo will usually take the initiative and do this for the larger companies. It's a good business practice for them, especially when the company is buying advertising slots and helping pay for the site's upkeep.
Step Three: Speak to a Judge to get a Cease-and-Desist Order.
This step is only needed for websites that are ignoring all reasonable requests. Because to get a Judge to give you one of those, you need to prove that they knowingly distribute content in violation of Copyright Law.
Step Four: Talk to The Service Provider and have them shut the site down.
If the situation has gotten to this point, one of two things has happened. Either the site owner has ignored/gotten around Cease-and-Desist Orders more than once, or a serious crime is being committed.
The Stop Online Piracy Act -as it currently stands- lets any major copyright holder petition the Service Provider to shut down a site for Copyright Infringement WITHOUT PROOF.
In other words, they can shut down any US based website that might potentially have copyrighted material on it. Making web developers and site owners Guilty Until Proven Innocent under the law.
This is not a bill about stopping websites from illegally distributing pirated software. It never was. As I explained above, blatant disregard for copyright can be taken care of under current international law. The catch is that media companies have to actually prove you are violating the law in the first place, which can take a fair bit of time and money.
So instead of going through all of that, they want to make the Fair Use Act and First Amendment obsolete. This would affect a lot more than simple "rogue" websites like Pirate Bay, or peddlers of stolen goods. This could affect the global economy in a very negative way.
The internet -and especially social media sites- have revolutionized the world. Small businesses can compete on the same global playing field as major corporations through digital grassroots campaigns. Consumers are better informed than ever, and individuals can decide for themselves what news is relevant to them. Aspiring journalists and writers can get their work out to the public without needing a publisher. And any person with the technical know-how, tools of the trade, and a computer can make films or games to entertain the masses.
In simpler terms, the Monopolies of old are in severe jeopardy. I'll give you three guesses as to who's not happy about it. I mean, who would want honest competition after years of getting away with abusing their customers?
Before you start accusing me of being a paranoid liberal treehugger, think about this. Why would Comcast support a bill like this? They don't provide any service that can be pirated. What would a major pharmaceutical company like GlaxoSmithCline have to gain by supporting a bill supposedly about stopping pirated software? Am I the only one who thinks this is suspicious?
Companies like Universal Media, Disney, and Autodesk at least make sense. They lose a lot of money to illegally downloaded versions of their copyrighted material. So it's pretty obvious why they want it passed.
/end political spiel
Innocent Until Proven Guilty is the foundation of criminal law in the United States and many other countries as well. In other words, when someone accuses you of something, they actually need to provide proof before you can be arrested for it. Most people agree that this is a Good Thing.
Right now. if a media company like Electronic Arts thinks a user on a website is distributing their product without permission they have to follow a procedure. I've simplified the steps that need to be taken for you.
Step One: contact the individual and ask them to remove the content/item.
If they comply, no further action is needed. Some will ignore the nice approach, which is why there are other ways to get the content off of the website. If the content is blatantly illegal, or on a user-driven mass media site this step is usually skipped.
Step Two: Contact the Site Owner and ask them to remove it.
Mass media websites like Youtube and Vimeo will usually take the initiative and do this for the larger companies. It's a good business practice for them, especially when the company is buying advertising slots and helping pay for the site's upkeep.
Step Three: Speak to a Judge to get a Cease-and-Desist Order.
This step is only needed for websites that are ignoring all reasonable requests. Because to get a Judge to give you one of those, you need to prove that they knowingly distribute content in violation of Copyright Law.
Step Four: Talk to The Service Provider and have them shut the site down.
If the situation has gotten to this point, one of two things has happened. Either the site owner has ignored/gotten around Cease-and-Desist Orders more than once, or a serious crime is being committed.
The Stop Online Piracy Act -as it currently stands- lets any major copyright holder petition the Service Provider to shut down a site for Copyright Infringement WITHOUT PROOF.
In other words, they can shut down any US based website that might potentially have copyrighted material on it. Making web developers and site owners Guilty Until Proven Innocent under the law.
This is not a bill about stopping websites from illegally distributing pirated software. It never was. As I explained above, blatant disregard for copyright can be taken care of under current international law. The catch is that media companies have to actually prove you are violating the law in the first place, which can take a fair bit of time and money.
So instead of going through all of that, they want to make the Fair Use Act and First Amendment obsolete. This would affect a lot more than simple "rogue" websites like Pirate Bay, or peddlers of stolen goods. This could affect the global economy in a very negative way.
The internet -and especially social media sites- have revolutionized the world. Small businesses can compete on the same global playing field as major corporations through digital grassroots campaigns. Consumers are better informed than ever, and individuals can decide for themselves what news is relevant to them. Aspiring journalists and writers can get their work out to the public without needing a publisher. And any person with the technical know-how, tools of the trade, and a computer can make films or games to entertain the masses.
In simpler terms, the Monopolies of old are in severe jeopardy. I'll give you three guesses as to who's not happy about it. I mean, who would want honest competition after years of getting away with abusing their customers?
Before you start accusing me of being a paranoid liberal treehugger, think about this. Why would Comcast support a bill like this? They don't provide any service that can be pirated. What would a major pharmaceutical company like GlaxoSmithCline have to gain by supporting a bill supposedly about stopping pirated software? Am I the only one who thinks this is suspicious?
Companies like Universal Media, Disney, and Autodesk at least make sense. They lose a lot of money to illegally downloaded versions of their copyrighted material. So it's pretty obvious why they want it passed.
/end political spiel
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Got something you don't need?
Good News!
I'll be stopping at Joanne's tomorrow to pick up some new fabrics to play with for making doll clothes. I'd like to get a good variety of designs made in a couple sizes. (modern, punk/goth, sci-fi, lolita/victorian, and fantasy.) Right now, my priority is basic/modern clothes and some out-there sci-fi stuff.
If anyone has some destroyed articles of clothing made from polyester, pleather, or other synthetic fabrics, please let me know. I am interested in "rescuing" these types of garments and making something new from them. I also take lace, leather remnants, faux fur, and smaller scale patterned fabric.
I am taking any of the following (provided they have been washed):
T-shirts
pairs of jeans
baby/ children's clothes
dresses
Halloween costumes (these are great for me!)
ribbons (no plastic giftbox ribbons.)
*I am primarily interested in fabrics that can be worn. Certain kinds of upholstery and decorating fabric are useable by me, but most are not.
I DO NOT need these currently:
blue denim
dark red, navy, or grey t-shirts
These lists are subject to the fluctuations of my personal stock and will therefore change depending on what merchandise is currently on sale or in production.
I'll be stopping at Joanne's tomorrow to pick up some new fabrics to play with for making doll clothes. I'd like to get a good variety of designs made in a couple sizes. (modern, punk/goth, sci-fi, lolita/victorian, and fantasy.) Right now, my priority is basic/modern clothes and some out-there sci-fi stuff.
If anyone has some destroyed articles of clothing made from polyester, pleather, or other synthetic fabrics, please let me know. I am interested in "rescuing" these types of garments and making something new from them. I also take lace, leather remnants, faux fur, and smaller scale patterned fabric.
I am taking any of the following (provided they have been washed):
T-shirts
pairs of jeans
baby/ children's clothes
dresses
Halloween costumes (these are great for me!)
ribbons (no plastic giftbox ribbons.)
*I am primarily interested in fabrics that can be worn. Certain kinds of upholstery and decorating fabric are useable by me, but most are not.
I DO NOT need these currently:
blue denim
dark red, navy, or grey t-shirts
These lists are subject to the fluctuations of my personal stock and will therefore change depending on what merchandise is currently on sale or in production.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Artwork samples
These are a few personal images you can use to get an idea of what I'm capable of. Some are a little bit rough, but they're accurate to what you'd see for a $1 to $5 donation.
This one is somewhat older than the others, but whatever. It's not totally ancient. And I always thought it was adorable.
How Much It Costs
Special Commission Rates
$1 Donation Sketch
(Basically, I am in a bad spot right now. "Would file for Bankruptcy if I could afford the Lawyer" bad. Food stamps don't cover my student loans. My cosigner can no longer afford to help me with the payments. Honestly he's been an angel to cover them as long as he has. I have until December to find a way to take care of them. I am looking for a job, but I have been doing that for two years with no success. SO, if you donate at least one dollar to my paypal account, I will draw you a sketch. Donate $5 or more and you will get a full color up to 8.5x11. If I can get enough to cover payments on my loans until I find a paying job, I will create an art tribute.)
Japan Relief Drawings
(Show me proof that you have made a donation to the Red Cross or other organization currently helping with Earthquake and Tsunami Relief and I will draw you something awesome.)
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Despite the best efforts of some, the world in which we live revolves around money. As such, I do not work pro-bono. It would be kind of hard to pay my student loans and eat if I did. Hence why I am creating this art blog, which I will subsequently spam with images.My prices will vary somewhat from one commission to the next, but here is the basic breakdown:
Regular Prices
Small*
Basic $5
Full $10
(I will define "Small" as anything smaller or less complex than a full 8.5x11 piece. "Basic" is line art, simple colors, or digital work. "Full" is a -duh- full color physical drawing mailed to you or picked up at a convention.)
9x12
Black and White $15
Color $20
11x14
Black and White $25
Color $30
(I /currently/ will not go above this size bracket for Digital commissions.)
Large
start at $40
Other
Mail Original or High Quality Print to you $5
Business Card/pamphlet/shirt $10 +whatever the Printing service charges
Digital pieces are currently restricted to anything below 11x14 because...well I frankly do not have an estimated production time for anything larger than that. When I do, I will update with a price tag.
What I Do (And Don't Do)
Things I Will Draw Or Paint For You:
Portraits
Landscapes
Animals
Scenes
Still Life
Pinups
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Fan Art
Things I Will TRY To Draw, but Make No Promises For:
Vehicles
Guns
Comic Books
Surprisingly, I Will Make This:
Logos
Graphics
Character Sheets
Album Covers
Book Covers/Inserts
Bookmarks
Beaded Jewelry
Stuff I Will Design So You Can Take It To A Printing Service:
Posters
Business Cards
Brochures/Pamphlets
Event Cards
T-Shirts
I Can't Do These Yet:
Three Dimensional Models
Sewn Goods
Animations
Web Design
I Refuse To Do:
Pornography
Blatant Copyright Violations
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