Hi, I just want to open this topic to raise attention to the author rights.
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If the episode has approved background or overlays it doesn’t mean it doesn’t violate author rights! When you upload it you have to confirm that you are the one responsible for the content not violating author rights. Please understand it is not in power of episode to check it, thay do not approve only the one using visible trademarks, etc. So that somebody gives you his background or overlay proclaiming it was approved by episode it DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING regarding the author rights.
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the same goes for the background which somebody proclaimed he created them so he owns them and he makes you believe that crediting him is enough and you are on the safe side. This might be so but do not need to be.
I have for your example which made me bit confused today. I will not name anybody - but there is the background of car interior which somebody on episode proclaims as his property because he did it (I was looking for something like this so I started to try to find out if it is really free regarding author rights)…but what he actually did (as it seem to me) - he/she took picture protected by author rights from an automobile site and just cut out the windows and replaced it with a different background. if so - such picture was never his/hers and he had no right to adjust it and if you blindly believe him/she and use it you are at the end the one who violates the author rights too.
That somebody uses it not even giving the credit to the “self-proclaimed” author is one thing but that the “author” actually did steal someone’s picture and proclaimed it his because he illegally modified and even requires credit for it is beyond my understanding.
So what I recommend:
- be on the safe side and get your backgrounds only from free sites like pixabay atc.
- if you use a background which is from someone here on the episode - better do not believe it is OK to use it and check it?
How to check it?
One possibility is downloaded it and use https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en (google image) - you can drag there the picture and google find the same and similar picture and so you can find out if there is actually an original picture from which it is made and it might be protected by the law.
an example I mentioned above
This is background - which was on someones google drive and you were able to use it by crediting the “author”
and this is a picture from https://pressroom.toyota.com/album/2012-2015-toyota-prius-third-3rd-generation/
And thay have clear statement there that this picture is protected by author rights
And to be clear I am not saying that the one who modified it didn’t get an agreement with Toyota to use their picture- maybe he or she did :D- but I recommend if you find such picture stay on the safe side and do not use it.
also, remember - even you are not making money from your story episode does - it means all you upload must be free for COMMERCIAL use - does this picture to you look like commercial free to use? Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me it is not.
This is for you all to make you more aware and not blindly believing that some background or overlay is free only because somebody told you.
You are the one responsible for your actions.