With the lawyers on here, I figure this is the best place to ask a legal question for free. I want to create a path tag but am not much of an artist. I want to take a drawing I found doing a google search. I've actually found it on a few sites so it doesn't appear to be exclusive to one persons site. Does something on the internet and made public fall under any sort of copywright laws that I would be violating? I'll be editing the image a bit and simplifying it to make it more clear on the tag but want to make sure there would be no legal issues...Any advice?

I wont touch the legality issue but will remind everyone of the public domain Geocaching logos that are at http://www.bytethebullet.com/geologo/. Many people forget there are many ides on that page in the original submissions page. You are free to do pretty much whatever you want with all the images there. Some of the original submissions may contain protected data, however, as they were submitted more as ideas than a final logo.

Sorry, not my cup of tea. It's a very limited specialty and not something all law schools even offer.

I will add - in another forum I frequent, the image copyright subject comes up often, usually with the thread being closed because one side feels it's worth chancing if you just be quiet about it and the others who like to be sure what they are doing is legal. Many of the images there are free to make a product from to use or sell, but selling or posting of the actual image or pattern is protected. The conversation gets heated when someone uses images from the internet or scans a commercial product and creates an image from that.

Most of the information on the internet suggests tracing the image back to the original artist is the best bet.

Can you create an image on your own that is similar? You'd probably be a bit safer that way.

OK, so I'll give my 2-cents worth.

1. Is the image actually copyrighted? Do some research on it - maybe you can find out.

2. If it is copyrighted, you can probably find the owner. Ask to use it for non-commercial use. If you explain your reason for wanting to use it, perhaps you can get permission to use it for free or at a very low cost.

3. See if this link (http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html) helps.

4. Go ahead and use the image. Note my avatar? It's probably copyrighted. They've got my address if they want to come after me...

:D:D

OK, so I'll give my 2-cents worth.

4. Go ahead and use the image. Note my avatar? It's probably copyrighted. They've got my address if they want to come after me...

:D:D

Hey - who would go after a crumug(gee, I can't spell it) who got the avatar from the State of Maine? Geesh, the State needs all the promotion it can get! ;) But, whew, with the new proposal of tax on pet food..........who knows? But, ya gotta love you avatar.........:cool:

Hey - who would go after a crumug(gee, I can't spell it) who got the avatar from the State of Maine? Geesh, the State needs all the promotion it can get! ;) But, whew, with the new proposal of tax on pet food..........who knows? But, ya gotta love you avatar.........:cool:I've always thought this was a actual picture of Bruce....looks just like hem. LOL