Sharing Our Thoughts With You: Copyright & Design

The issue of copyright is something that cannot be ignored in any creative line of business. As designers, we hope that others will follow the "designer's code of ethics" and develop their own original work and respect others', but we know this is wishful thinking.

As we've mentioned before, Wishgiving has a great deal of respect for art in all forms, and because of this, we work hard to develop original work as well as protect our artists. Our artists' work, including designs, names of designs, site design, site copy, graphics and photography, are all preserved under copyright and receive our firm protection.

I'm mentioning this not only because I've found Wishgiving's designs/designs' names being duplicated, but also to make a statement regarding respect for original art. Copyright protection for art is more than business legalities; it is to acknowledge the profound respect for an artist. It is often taken for granted, or forgotten, that an artist's work is not simply the result of the hours put into creating a specific design. Rather, we should acknowledge the artist's devotion in developing that artistic eye, creativity and skill during his or her lifetime. An artist is never developed overnight, and each piece created is a result of the artist's devotion to art.

By taking another's designs to sell as their own, one offends the very idea of art and original design, detracting from the artistry of a piece by turning it into a means of profit. The artist in me finds it demeaning.

Aside from taking time to create our own designs, we also enjoy showcasing other works of art on both our main site, and on our blogs. All work we showcase is duly credited to the original artist/designer. We also contact individual artists to acknowledge their work and our mentions of their work.

Please join us in preserving original work, and look forward to introductions of artists that have inspired us.