Regarding brushes and vectors. If your purchase the vectors and they are royalty free then you are all good. Some free stuff on the net is available for commercial use, but original artist will cleary state the rights usage.

A company that comes to mind is Gomedia, they are well known for their vector art and packs, but once in awhile they give out free vector samples and free brushes, which they state clearly that they are allowed for commercial use.

Fonts on the other hand, ie DAFONT.COM and etc usually don’t allow for commercial use, so basically if your going to make money off of it, you can’t use it, but you can always contact the original artist and see what you can work out. Some fonts are as cheap as $14.99 or $50, just depends on the usage.

Now when it comes to drawing the Mona Lisa on a bike, that falls in the realm of paradoy or inspiration. Most ideas aren’t original, and were inspired from something, so if you draw your own Mona Lisa riding on a bike you drew, then it should be fair game. The idea of taking mona lisa and adding her onto a bike would be copyright infringement..
I love adding my .06 cents!

yeah i wana know the same thing re brushes and fonts…..

I think the important thing is that we are all here learing and with that spirit in mind, how can we not.

As I often like to say : we are seedling the future here, so lets be very aware of what we are seedling.

So with this good intent to all further oursleves and learn from each other, all comments should not be taken to heart but rather come from the heart ;)

I don’t know about president, man… It would turn into a dictatorship and I’d imply breeding laws to prevent cousins making babies.
Thanks for the support though.

Artists in this country are especially naive about creative commons, I blame our VERY lax copy right enforcement laws and lazyness.
It upsets me to see South African “designers”, giving other South African designers (who actually have talent and don’t rip every damn image they see off of MTV) a bad name due to stupidity, ego and un-originality.
I’m tired of attitudes like this perpetuating the stereotypes, which I myself have encountered doing international work, that the Creative Community in South Africa DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
We are not a joke, and we have a hell of a lot more to offer than the world gives us credit for.

I get especially annoyed when I encounter people who blatantly copy other’s work seeking praise and recognition for it. (You’ve all seen what happens when someone thinks they’re entitled to selling said “work” in the last posts).

Copying is NEVER good. All that purveys about an individual is that they can trace and copy well.

Ok this is probably going to get me banned from the site, but when I encounter such enormous stupidity I can’t shut my mouth. Mods feel free, just leave the posts up because they contain answers to legal questions and are useful as a resource for future debates.

You are SO wrong that you’re making yourself look like a drama/lolcow. This deserves an ED page.
Listen dude, your shirt was removed for IP.

Is the damage to your pathetic ego really that bad? Do you REALLY feel the need to drag yourself down further?

Lets answer your questions then, because apparently your lack a brain as well as dignity, creativity and originality.

1: Mona Lisa, painted in the 16’th Centuary (that’s the 1500’s because Im not sure you even know how to count) by Leonardo da Vinci (Pronunciation: Lee-a-nardo DaH Veen-see), Born:1452 Died:1519

This image was created MANY HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE COPYRIGHT WAS INVENTED.

Ergo it is not protected by copyright and can be replicated with the intention of generating a profit.
Had you bothered to google any of the questions you had asked you would have found the WikiAnswers site:
“” *Is there any Copyright protection on da Vinci’s Mona Lisa?
In: Intellectual Property*
Answer

No. The copyright laws were not invented at that time. Which is why everyone prints the Mona Lisa on Birthday cards, postcards and sings songs about it. The song “Mona Lisa by Tony Bennett” has a copyright on it. Because Bennett wrote and performed it and made it famous.

However, just because the underlying work is “old” and not copyrighted does not mean you can take anyone else’s copy and use it! Each “new” copy of the Mona Lisa painting could have “creative” differences that merit separate protection. For example, you can’t copyright the Grand Canyon, but everyone who takes a picture of it owns the copyright of that picture.”“

So go ahead! Further rape and over use an iconic image just like the MILLIONS of other “artists” did and continue to do.
You’re SOOOOO original.

2: Vector packs and fonts.
HAD YOU BOTHERED TO READ THIS PAGE AND THE ANSWERS FROM THE POSTERS: You would have seen that this has already been answered FOR you TWICE! By the Brigand

““Using a vector graphic flower, arrow, star or blade of grass, or some other uncomplicated non-specific image from a stock library is one thing. Also one must adhere closely to whether that stock image can actually be used in such a manner.

Using a free font is also fine with consideration of the above.”“

AND 2: Nik
““dude, even with free downloadable fonts, you normally need to purchase a commercial licence for it.”“

Here’s an elaboration, and I must remember to use small words and short sentences so that you understand:

When you download fonts or vectors from a site and you’re not paying for them, chances are that those files are what are called “ROYALTY-FREE” fonts / vectors.
This means that whoever made those files are giving anyone who wants to use them, the rights to use them.

HOWEVER, before you download, you really should read the creator’s statements, because they will want written notification about what you are using the pack / font / image for and want to decide if they should charge you money.
Nice eh? Fine print = Legal stuff. Who would have thought?!

If you’re confused, here’s a little definition from Wikipedia:

““Royalty-free

Royalty-free describes material (typically graphics such as stock photography and icons, but also sound such as music loop samples) that may be used for profit, without paying royalties. Royalty-free media is usually acquired for a ‘one time only’ fee, although public domain imagery and many works created under a copyleft license are also usable without paying royalties or an initial fee.

In commercial design, publishing, advertising, web design, etc., images are used as a key to awaken interest in a text or to illustrate it, or may stand on their own. Picture editors rely heavily on the millions of images that are available from various sources. This saves time and the considerable expense of hiring photographers to shoot on location. It was once usual for a picture buyer to browse through a photo library’s stock or to have a selection delivered from which to choose. The Internet has drastically changed the way in which pictures are browsed; with today’s digital delivery methods, images may be searched for and acquired online.

The use of a stock photograph from a photo library may be also charged on a Rights Managed license basis for a specific, one-time use at a rate determined by a combination of factors: the time for which it is required, the purpose, the print run or circulation of the publication, territory, etc.

There is also “royalty-free” stock photography, particularly microstock photography. This does not mean that an image may be used without payment. What it means is that a one-time fee or subscription gives the right to use an image in a publication according to the terms agreed upon, with no license fees being paid for further use.

Many true free-picture agencies exist today. Organizations such as this strive to make available pictures to the Internet community, charging nothing for them but with the expectation that users will publicise the provider in every way possible. In this case the images are free for non-commercial use.

There are other websites that offer free images. These images are not to be considered as “Public Domain” images. It is important to read the Terms of Usage, and to remember that according to the copyright laws, the author is the copyright owner. The author has the right to do anything with the image, including later on removing it from a free picture website and start selling it. In doubt contact the author to ask for written permission.”“

I suggest you drop this and move on, or if you want to continue arguing EDUCATE yourself FIRST.