Lesson 7: Let's Talk About Tubing

Welcome to Section Two of the Graphics Copyright Course, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for all your hard work in Section One we hope you found it both informative and enjoyable.

This final Section of the Course teaches you how to put everything we have learned to date, into operation. As we move forward we do so with the understanding that you are totally committed to being a Legal Creator, if you have any lingering doubts about this being the way to go, now is the time to raise them – either through the Group or by emailing us privately. We are always approachable, and welcome any questions you may have.

All that said, let’s move on ***smiles***

Lesson 7: Let's Talk About Tubing
By Melissa Olivero

So, let's start a dialogue about tubing. What is tubing, you may ask? Well, it is when a person takes a piece of art and essentially cuts a piece of it out and puts it into Paint Shop Pro "tube form".

If you have a painting of an elephant and that elephant is depicted on a grassy plain, a tuber would probably cut out the image of the elephant; put it in tube form so it could then be used without that "pesky background". You can also create an image yourself and save it in tube format for future use also. For more detailed information, you can probably do a search for "tube tutorial" and go from there.

This lesson is about copyrights, permissions and tubing. Let's say I have art on my website in gallery form. You have written to me and asked for my permission to use my paintings in your email stationery and/or sig tags.

I say yes to this request. I ask you to keep the work intact when you use it and to please add my copyright and link.

Can you then tube my work? No, you didn't ask for that.

Okay then -- we'll go back and change your permission request to include tubing, email stationery and sig tags.

Can you then tube my work? Yes, but for your own personal use only.

In this instance, you may not tube my work and then share it with others. You especially may not distribute those tubes within a group or from your site.

So we will change the permission request and add in tube distribution. Assuming I agree, you can then distribute the tubes among your friends.

Can they legally use the tubes? No. Unless you specifically asked for a group usage permission or permission for a certain friend in addition to yours, the people you distribute the tube to have to get their own permission.

Terri (GC Owner), is who unfamiliar with tubing asked,

"When you ask for permission to tube an artists work, do you also ask the artist if it is ok to combine the finished tube with other artists work and creations? Is the artist asked how they would like their copyright information to read? Is the artist asked if they have an objection to other copyrights being attached to the finished "new" work?"

In the first class session, we were lucky enough to have Conny with us. She is an expert tuber with and great MSN group found HERE. She replied:

"Other tubers might do it differently but here we go:

1. I don't ask artists to give permission to combine their art with the art of other artists ever, I ONLY ask them permission to tube. I know artists don't like it and there is no purpose in asking if you only want to tube their work and offer it for download to your group members. It would be a task for taggers more likely.

2. Do I ask the artists what kind of copyright notice they want? No I ask them anything specific at all, I ask their permission to tube and I ask them what their terms of use might be, concerning that. If they reply without being specific about what they want on it, I take things into my own hands and ALWAYS add: ©artistname and www.artistwebsite.com to the tube on a separate layer, (visible on previews), with a clickable link to their website. If they DO give me specifics about what they want added as copyright info I follow their terms. Like Monte Moore, who is very specific in wanting 2005 © Monte M. Moore on his work (the year added)

If you want to know about combining art....you should ask tubers...you should ask taggers lol and stat makers, they are the ones who would want to combine art in their creations...tubers don't."

Conny was right about it being the tag or stationery creator that would be the one to combine tubes. So if that is something you like to do with your tubes, when you make your personal permission request to each artist, make sure to specifically ask about combining their work with other artists'. To be honest though, you will probably not find many that would appreciate that at all.

In conclusion, if you would like to work with tubes... Make sure to get your own personal permission (unless you are working under a group blanket permission) and be very specific in how you are going to use the art.