So, for what seems to be the thousandth time, I have just explained again on social media how using the share button is actually different from stealing someone's work. I have many artist friends. Many. We create, we craft, we spend countless hours thinking of how a certain thing looks and how our audience might react to it. But more importantly, we do it for ourselves. Not to make millions of dollars, but because we feel this driving need to express ourselves. If what we do resonates with you, then by all means share our work. Please.
You can do that in any number of ways. Copy the link to our site and message your friend. Share and re-tweet us on Twitter. Find us on Instagram and click the little heart. Re-pin us on Pinterest. Follow a blog. Use the sharing tools on the blog. Do you know why these are acceptable? Because they link back to our original work. But for whatever reason, when you are on Facebook, you might think downloading our work is acceptable. Even though that awesome little share button is right there...it is made to circulate things you like.
Here is why downloading is not okay: As stated basically by all the legal verbiage you can find on FB, When an image is published on the internet, the owner of that image immediately owns copyright. If you doubt me, here is a reference link and you need to read Is it legal to download works from peer-to-peer networks and IF NOT what is the PENALTY for doing so?
So now you see why my friends are serious about the warnings they give. "If you use a copyrighted work without authorization, the owner may be entitled to bring an infringement action against you." If you are a fan of many of the popular quote photo pages and you absolutely LOVE a particular quote, ask them if it's on Pinterest so you can re-pin it. If it's not, maybe they will make it available for you. I know I would if you said, I love this quote so much I want to marry it. Or whatever you normally say. I taught preschool (reminder). I don't adult correctly.
Moving on, but when you leave this long-winded comment on my page after I have nicely explained why the 50 photos you just downloaded into your albums are not actually yours and that's like me taking all the photos of you, your kids and putting them in my albums and saying they are mine, and you leave me this negative comment, but you threw a Namaste after it, well then, my gosh, that's ok. Because you ended with "respect". How about respect me enough to begin with and share correctly. That speaks volumes to me more than explaining away your actions by trying to cast blame. And for the record, I meditate and am completing a 200-hour Vinyasa yoga teacher certification, but if I broke into your house and stole your things and you caught me, but said Namaste to you as I was leaving, I hope it would be okay with you.
