michaelm@vax.MCD.3Com.Com (Michael McNeil) (01/13/91)
A friend of mine is an artist who has taken up the electronic easel. She would like to make her artwork, combined with lyrics for music (and eventually, after the hardware is more generally available, music itself, integrated with the visuals), available over the electronic media. (At present, these works consist of PC Paintbrush images with lyrics/poetry overlayed.) Have any such works of art been "published" over the Internet, and if so, what would be appropriate newsgroups for these kinds of postings? (Furthermore, what data format would such images be posted in? I would assume the usual GIF or TIF format, uuencoded like the scanned photographs that are posted from time to time, but which?) Also, we probably won't do the following at first (rather we'll post the graphic files themselves), but the artist has expressed an interest in the future in incorporating something akin to software shareware with her art -- i.e., distributing a restricted version of the product having limited capabilities, with a request that interested persons purchase the full-blown, unrestricted version by mail. I envision posting a program which either incorporates images within the .EXE file, or else reads them in from encrypted files, then allows the images to be displayed interactively at the viewer's discretion. However, it would not allow printing the images, using them for wallpaper in Windows, say, etc. -- until the interested party contacts the artist and purchases the .GIF files. Has anyone actually done such a thing? Also, do people here have comments as to the suitability of proceeding in this way, or ideas as to how this new medium for distributing art might be encouraged? Comments welcome! -- Michael McNeil michaelm@vax.DSD.3Com.COM (3comvax.UUCP) 3Com Corporation ucbvax!hplabs!oliveb!3comvax!michaelm Santa Clara, California work telephone: (408) 492-1790 x 5-208 When that which is divine in us doth try To shape a face, both brain and hand unite To give, from a mere model frail and slight Life to the stone by Art's free energy. Michelangelo
dsp@polari.UUCP (Don Smith) (01/14/91)
In article <4110@3comvax.MCD.3Com.Com>, michaelm@vax.MCD.3Com.Com (Michael McNeil) writes: [ background deleted ] > > Also, we probably won't do the following at first (rather we'll > post the graphic files themselves), but the artist has expressed an > interest in the future in incorporating something akin to software > shareware with her art -- i.e., distributing a restricted version > of the product having limited capabilities, with a request that > interested persons purchase the full-blown, unrestricted version > by mail. I envision posting a program which either incorporates > images within the .EXE file, or else reads them in from encrypted > files, then allows the images to be displayed interactively at the > viewer's discretion. However, it would not allow printing the > images, using them for wallpaper in Windows, say, etc. -- until the > interested party contacts the artist and purchases the .GIF files. > > Has anyone actually done such a thing? Also, do people here have > comments as to the suitability of proceeding in this way, or ideas > as to how this new medium for distributing art might be encouraged? > > Comments welcome! > One thing to consider is her copyright ownership. If the images, text and sound were fully available to a person who bought the software then it may quite easy for someone to make works based in large part on what she has done. Would she want to give up copyright ownership? Would the "new art work" based on her's be printable now? Does Usenet feed into countries that aren't party to the Bern Convention? ( I think so, Russia) I'm no attorney but cross posts to the legal group might be of help here. You've got a great idea here but I think caution should be used in the beginning. Although I've never seen any posts from them (maybe I'm reading the wrong groups) I do know that an international ad agency is on the net. Some years ago several agencies in Chicago were found to be making several Hundred Thousands from the interest on the money owed to freelance artists that hadn't been paid for 90, 120, 180 days. Like I said, it is a great. Would you be so kind as to share with us any solutions you find? Don dsp@polari.UUCP