Sorry, Lecrayon....'real life'[tm] got in the way....but paxx answered you...
The word 'copyright', often mis-quoted as 'copywrite' encompasses a quite simple concept.....
The 'right' of 'copy'...that is, who has or retains the right to 'copy' something.
Now, fortunately for us all, and for the rest of the world, 'fair use' allows for our personal enjoyment of a copyrighted object [something created by another person], so yes, jark, we are all free to manipulate, plagiarise, modify, alter, filter-puke, whatever in the privacy of our own home, where there is no public redistribution of this 'altered' object under another's name, with, or without permission.
The proverbial hits the fan when this private 'modification' goes public via being published or broadcast via sites such as ours/yours.
What frustrates me the most is that I spent a heck of a lot of time and energy specifically at DA in a 'news item' about copyright theft and ripping....but so many people obviously took no heed at all, preferring to follow the 'interpretation' of the Law that most suited their site's existence.
I even uploaded a 'manipulation' to exemplify the whole issue...it was a clear graphic done by another...it was clearly altered...it was uploaded in 'educational 'fair-use'...AND it was reasonably 'obscured' to prevent unintentional/unlawful download [distribution] of another's property.
But to many the point was lost...
Put me in a position of responsibility for upload/content, and I see a 'Britney' wall and it's gone...no questions asked. If [and it's a BIG 'IF'] the 'artist' comes back complaining that he's Britney's brother so that's how he got the pic, whatever, then maybe it 'might' be accepted.
I see no harm in this tactic....it's exactly what every skin/wall artist here at Wincustomize would expect from his/her site admins.....dilligent protection of THEIR property rights.
I have a WinAMP skin I'd love to upload...but cannot....why?...because I am yet to receive permission for the few bitmaps that were 'extracted' from another's wall, even though I do have permission from that same artist, same wall, different 'skin'.
This is just me, protecting an artist's rights....because I am one, too, and expect/demand the same from my peers.
I think a few people would do well to read that old news item...it's the one that 'started' the whole copyright-issue-thing at DA....and lose that Lawyer...they are always preoccupied with what's 'between' the lines to actually heed what's said IN them...
