Every month I am asked to paint a piggy bank with a sports logo, college mascot or cartoon character. Every month I say no.
Why? Because these images are copyrighted and I do not have the license to reproduce them. It is illegal for these images to be sold on unlicensed items, and I could be sued.
My piggy banks would look so cute painted as various NFL helmets, and I could make a lot of money painting these. I have to admit it is tempting. But, it is not worth the chance of losing my business. The business I have worked so hard at for over 20 years.
It baffles me the number of sellers on the web and etsy who do paint licensed characters and logos. It is illegal. Yet they continue to do so. To me, it is unethical.
Whether or not a customer begs you to paint a licensed image is beside the point. It is against the law and you should have the integrity to tell the customer that.
Is an easy buck worth the chance of a lawsuit? For me, it's not.
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1 comment:
This is a good question. My reason seems to have changed from the original reason 15 years ago when I started Comfy Cozy,inc. Today, the reason I want comfycozy.com to succeed is so that my 2 sons will know that hard work and determination are worth the effort. Working from home is a challenge and I want my boys to learn that being home for them is worth all the challenges of running a business versus working for someone else 9-5.
There are 'side' reasons for wanting to succeed. Success breeds success, it will allow me to grow as an artist, as a fulfilled person with high self esteem and pride in the work I do. Success will allow my company the financial resources to employ other women and help them fulfill their dreams and needs.
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