Copyright
What it is and how it pertains to MSN, this group and www.psptubepot.com for both contributors and users of graphics. Every creative endeavor is © to the person who created it the minute it is created. There is very little that you can find that is "© free," but there is much you can find that is "© safe." The purpose of this group is to provide a whole bunch of these "© safe" gems for others to use. Responsibility for © lies in all of our hands but it need not be a burden. The legalese of © statements can be mindboggling, to say the least but, basically, if you didn't make it and cannot determine who did to receive permission, don't use it. Every artist has (or should have) a terms of use available - these are basic guidelines that may or may not give permission for use; sometimes permission needs to be explored via email. MSN and this group's managers will assume that those of you using sigs/tags on the board are doing so within the terms set forth by the artist unless we know (or are informed) otherwise. Generally speaking, it is up to you to determine whether or not you are doing so. Our terms of use are pretty straight forward - no jumping through hoops required, no hidden little catches in the hopes we can run around punishing people. Many of the artists here won't even ask that you give them credit - fancy that! This does not make them © free, though - the original creator still retains the © on the original image. What is made from them is then © to the user. For example - let's say I'm offering a tube of a carnation; I hold the © on that carnation but, if somebody takes it and uses it to make a tag then the tag, itself, is © to them. There is also an honor system going on here - you trust that I created or photographed the carnation myself, I trust that you will not attempt to say that you created or photographed it yourself.
Tutorial creations
If an image is created via a tutorial, © becomes a bit murky - I will attempt to lay down a few guidelines for you. -
Sig/Tag tuts: The most basic, and prolific, tutorials seem to be for sigs/tags - many of these come with tubes provided for use. For the most part, if you're using a pre-exhisting tube, you cannot turn around and offer it AS a tube with your © on it. As a matter of fact, in some instances, you can't even turn around and offer it as a sig/tag (with or without your ©) - just because somebody wrote a tut doesn't make the graphic you created with it safe. As such, I would highly discourage offering graphics made from tuts such as these, here. Using them safely as sigs/tags on the board is up to you to determine.
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Selection tuts: First, check the terms of use - most will directly state how you can use what you create. As long as the tut writer is offering a tut based upon their original work and gives you permission to offer it, then it is ok to do so although putting your © on it becomes an ethical question. If much of it is created with pre-exhisting tubes, ethically you shouldn't slap your © on it. What's better is to attempt a departure from strictly following the tutorial and adding your own creativity - now it is ok to put your © on it and offer it here.
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Vector/Pixel/Digital painting tuts: Most of the above holds true if you use vector or pixel painting tutorials although the ease of adding your own elements come more into play. Digital painting/web art tuts result in you creating graphics that you can happly apply your own © to. A basic rule of thumb is stated on the Work Rules & Guides page, "It must not be an image that anyone else could construe was theirs. period." Keep that in mind  . If you have any questions, just ask. ~Staff
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