Protect your (copy)rights! West Seattle seminar coming up

Cal Kinnear of Washington Lawyers for the Arts (and chair of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors) sends word of a workshop in West Seattle that may be of interest to more than a few local artists: West Seattle-residing attorney Bob Cumbow will lead “Important Copyright Considerations for Artists,” 6 pm Nov. 24 at Ginomai (42nd and Genesee). Organizers promise it’ll lead participants clearly through a lot of issues near and dear to our hearts as well: “… the basics of copyright for those working in both ‘traditional’ art disciplines and new Media, i.e. web, internet, video and two dimensional arts such as collage. You’ll learn why it makes no sense to ask ‘How do I copyright my work?’ and the answers to other frequently-asked questions, such as ‘Who owns the copyright in a work I made for someone else?’ and ‘How much do I have to change someone else’s work before I am safe in using it in my own work?'” The price is on a sliding scale and there’s a discount for registering in advance – go to Brown Paper Tickets – or if you plan to pay at the door, they still ask that you RSVP, 206-328-7053.

lazybeard November 10, 2009 (5:38 pm)

I’m confused, the link to Brown Paper Tickets goes to the WLA website within Brown Paper Tickets, but doesn’t list the event.

Is the only way to RSVP via telephone?

Edit: Figured it out. I thought that the event is tomorrow but it’s really on Friday, 10/24.

WSB November 10, 2009 (5:56 pm)

I hope not – I just got this notice in the past day – it says Nov. 24 and that’s what I see when I click the BPT page. An even more direct link is:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/89027?prod_id=3042

lazybeard November 10, 2009 (7:33 pm)

Yup yup, you’re right.

Rob November 12, 2009 (6:44 am)

As an artist and art school graduate I can answer the 2 questions simply.

1. Anything you create and is fixed (available to sense, see, hear, taste) even for a microsecond is automatically copyrighted to you. Recipes and ideas cannot be copyrighted.

2. If you are working for someone else, unless a contract says differently, the work is owed by the employer. You can reference the work in a portfolio, but anything created while under their employment, is the property of the employer. Disney has a strict proprietary copyright contract with all of it’s employees.

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