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?

Legaliites 2 — More About Copyright

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

Legaliites 4 — What is Work Made For Hire?

Legaliites 5 — Some Questions About Fair Use

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

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

Legaliites 8 — More on Using Real People in Your Work

Legaliites 9 — Online Works: Registration and Copying

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

Legaliites 11 — Questions About Contract Language

Legaliites 12 — How to Hire a Lawyer

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

Legaliites 14 — Contracts and Trademarks

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

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

Legaliites 17 — Privacy and Publicity Rights

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

Legaliites 19 — Portfolio Rights

Legaliites 20 — Working with Children's Artwork

Legaliites 21 — Your Work as Fine Art Part 2

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

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

Legaliites 24 — Non-competition contracts

Legaliites 25 — Work made for hire and copyright infringement

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

Legaliites 27 — Comping and Infringement

Legaliites 28 — Copyright Ownership for Collaborative Projects

Legaliites 29 — Infringing Cartoon Characters

Legaliites 30 — Jeff Koons and Copyright Infringement

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

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