Free software and copyright protected content

[femina]

Hello everybody, I am a visual artist and I have always been inspired by classic rock legends. I wish to make a series of original paintings that depict famous classic rock bands. I want to include the name of the band along the bottom of each one picture. After the painting is done, it might look much like a poster, but original artwork. Would they be legal to sell? Would I have any problems?

[keme]

Hello everybody, I am a visual artist and I have always been inspired by classic rock legends. I wish to make a series of original paintings that depict famous classic rock bands. I want to include the name of the band along the bottom of each one picture. After the painting is done, it might look much like a poster, but original artwork. Would they be legal to sell? Would I have any problems?

This is not a site for legal advice. Ask here if you need help using the Open Office software suite.

For legal questions concerning the use of registered trademarks and lookalikes in artwork, consult your local autorities on copyright administration, and/or artists' organizations.

[Caracalla]

Hello everybody, I am a visual artist and I have always been inspired by classic rock legends. I wish to make a series of original paintings that depict famous classic rock bands. I want to include the name of the band along the bottom of each one picture. After the painting is done, it might look much like a poster, but original artwork. Would they be legal to sell? Would I have any problems?

This is not a site for legal advice. Ask here if you need help using the Open Office software suite.

To be fair, this is the general forum.

[keme]

To be fair, this is the general forum.

Sure, but people around here are here because of that software I mentioned, not to pose as general purpose information sources. There may be people who can answer your question, but the correct answer partially depends on where you are in the world. I believe you are more likely to get good answers to your question elsewhere, so I just offered the best advice I could.

[acknak]

I strongly discourage giving or taking advice on legal questions, but I think this might be an exception. I would feel comfortable to say that OOo's license does not give anyone else rights to anything you create using OOo, period. The license which covers distribution of OOo applies only to the software and it has nothing to say about what you create using the software.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.htm ... ToolsForNF

Of course, what you do with OOo will have other legal ramifications, as keme has already mentioned, but those are the same no matter what tools you use to create the work. Those legal issues are definitely your responsibility and no one here is going to be able to advise you on that, but I think it's very safe to tell you that using OOo is not going to attach any rights over your work.

If you have any doubts, read the license yourself, or get a lawyer to read it for you. There's a copy of the license in a file installed along with the software.

[TheGurkha]

If I'm reading it right, the poster's question was more to do with if they create an image of one of these classic rock bands and put the band's name across the bottom of the poster, can they legally sell it (irrespective of the software used to create the image).

[keme]

If I'm reading it right, the poster's question was more to do with if they create an image of one of these classic rock bands and put the band's name across the bottom of the poster, can they legally sell it (irrespective of the software used to create the image).

That was my impression too, and my reason for responding the way I did.

I see now that I may have been wrong. Acknak's alternate interpretation is quite possiibly the correct one, so his reply is very appropriate. Good catch! My apologies to femina and Caracalla if I misinterpreted their messages.

[DeShock]

Hello everybody, I am a visual artist and I have always been inspired by classic rock legends. I wish to make a series of original paintings that depict famous classic rock bands. I want to include the name of the band along the bottom of each one picture. After the painting is done, it might look much like a poster, but original artwork. Would they be legal to sell? Would I have any problems?

The problem with this post is that it has nothing to do with the topic of the thread. A moderator should split this into a separate thread.

[Villeroy]

The problem with this post is that it has nothing to do with the topic of the thread. A moderator should split this into a separate thread.

Done. I hope the new subject line is OK.

[DrewJensen]

If I'm reading it right, the poster's question was more to do with if they create an image of one of these classic rock bands and put the band's name across the bottom of the poster, can they legally sell it (irrespective of the software used to create the image).

Perhaps he is asking for premission to produce a "OO.o User Community Forum House Band" poster? Hey, you don't know, maybe!

[TheGurkha]

Perhaps he is asking for premission to produce a "OO.o User Community Forum House Band" poster? Hey, you don't know, maybe!

Gadzooks - what a thought.