LegalitiesSM is a regular column for the Northern California Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild by OW&E member Linda Joy Kattwinkel, who is herself a visual artist and former graphic artist. In the column, Linda Joy specifically answers questions raised by visual artists, but many of the issues are equally applicable to those who create or utilize works in all creative disciplines. Writers, musicians, filmmakers, fabric designers, and industrial designers, for example, and any of their clients will also find relevant information on copyright law, trademarks, rights of publicity and privacy, licensing, gallery and agency relationships, co-authorship agreements, and publishing contracts

Legalities 1 — What is Copyright?

Legalites 2 — More About Copyright

Legalites 3 — Copyrighting Graphic Design; Online Infringement; Depicting Famous People

Legalites 4 — What is Work Made For Hire?

Legalites 5 — Some Questions About Fair Use

Legalites 6 — Follow-Up Questions About Fair Use and Collage

Legalites 7 — Issues Regarding the Use of Someone's Likeness

Legalites 8 — More on Using Real People in Your Work

Legalites 9 — Online Works: Registration and Copying

Legalites 10 — Questions About Making Greeting Cards from Photographs; Copyright for Old Works; Publishing Contracts; Agents

Legalites 11 — Questions About Contract Language

Legalites 12 — How to Hire a Lawyer

Legalites 13 — Selling Your Work as Fine Art, Part 1

Legalites 14 — Contracts and Trademarks

Legalites 15 — Is a Shape Copyrightable? How to Get Appropriate Rights When You Commission Graphic Design

Legalites 16 — Can a Design Firm Show Comps that Use Stock Photos? Can a Photographer Publish Out-takes of Celebrities for Self-Promotion?

Legalites 17 — Privacy and Publicity Rights

Legalites 18 — Talking Heads: Is it Safe to Create Animated Characters Based on a Customer's Photo?

Legalites 19 — Portfolio Rights

Legalites 20 — Working with Children's Artwork

Legalites 21 — Your Work as Fine Art Part 2

Legalites 22 — Does Posting Your Artwork Online Count As "Publication"?

Legalites 23 — Registering your copyright in graphic design: how to fight back if the Copyright Office says no.

Legalites 24 — Non-competition contracts

Legalites 25 — Work made for hire and copyright infringement

Legalites 26 — Orphan Works: letter to members of Congress re. H.R. 5439

Legalites 27 — Comping and Infringement

Legalites 28 — Copyright Ownership for Collaborative Projects

Legalites 29 — Infringing Cartoon Characters

Legalites 30 — Jeff Koons and Copyright Infringement

Legalites 31 — Creating brand images for your client — who owns what rights?

Legalites 32 — Should artists let large profitable companies use their art online for free? Guest author Craig Frazier shares an open letter to Google