Avatars from scratch.

[Mint]

Okie.....here are couple of things that I wanna know. (dont get mad Paul, I think they are reasonable questions, and I looked everywhere for a post and didnt find answers.)

What do you define as from scratch?

Is it just what you drew?
Is it if you scanned pick from a book and made an avatar out of it?
Is it that you took a pick of smth and cut a part of it to make it an avatar?

Reason why it applies to this forum?

Other forums seem to be using them without any trouble?

All righty thats all. Thanks in advance

[Paul]

No problem with the questions at all, Mint - good thing to ask if unsure. I'll answer things one by one:

What do you define as from scratch?

From nothing.

Is it just what you drew?

Yes - your own work from a blank sheet of paper (or blank screen) or a photograph you personally took (but not a photograph of a photograph).

Is it if you scanned pick from a book and made an avatar out of it?

No.

Is it that you took a pick of smth and cut a part of it to make it an avatar?

No (unless by "took a pick of smth" you mean you were the person who photographed the thing (for example if you photographed your pet hamster, that photo (or part of it) is fine - AND bear in mind you are the copyright holder of that photo, so you can allow others to use it if you wish BUT if you don't specifically state that others can use it, then if they do use it, they infringe upon your copyright (so you see, copyright protects everyone)).

Reason why it applies to this forum?

It applies everywhere.

Other forums seem to be using them without any trouble?

Some forums or sites are run by people who flout the rules, don't know or don't seem to care. Copyright infringement can and does get sites closed down. I'm not going to allow that to happen to BAO. If my determination to keep the forum (and myself) safe from copyright infringement problems annoys some people, I'm sorry, but it's to ensure the long-term life of this site.

[Holly Golightly]

I was wondering if you knoew of any sites that we could find avatars then, that dont' have copyrite laws against them, as I dont' have a scanner to put in a pic of my own...>?

[Mint]

You should specify what kind r u looking for Holly

I don't know.....99.99999% of all avatars are not really original drawings - they come from artbooks, snapshots of game books, media ads and so on. So Im afraid to suggest anything.

[Paul]

Holly, you may find some you like on the phpBB site: http://www.phpbb.com/styles/gallery/ind ... =./Avatars

The phpBB folks are the people who wrote the programing for this forum, so I trust that they only offer legal avatars.

[Mint]

Oh so thats where they were from

Well, they didn't draw them, they just scanned the inserts from video games and sized them. Ok - this totally clarifies "original avatar"

So like if you own a vid. game or an book and you scan a pick and resize it - its ok.

Thankies.

[Holly Golightly]

You should specify what kind r u looking for Holly

Just little characters like the one I've got I suppose!!!

[Paul]

Oh so thats where they were from

Well, they didn't draw them, they just scanned the inserts from video games and sized them. Ok - this totally clarifies "original avatar"

So like if you own a vid. game or an book and you scan a pick and resize it - its ok.

Thankies.

No - I think you may be making assumptions there.

Admittedly, I'm also making assumptions that they're only using legal avatars- the type of action you mention wouldn't be legal within copyright rules.

Please see the discussion on the phpBB site regarding this: http://www.phpbb.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=98118

[Paul]

The Google image search has no respect for copyright (and I've read posts elsewhere by folks who pretty much don't like the way google uses their images in that particular area of google) so that one's a definite no, sorry.

Hmmm, just as an example I went there and typed in Broomsticks And Owls.

Eeek an even better example - if you've read what Sonkem has said about her dragons being copyright, you'll see exactly what I mean in my first sentence if you type in sonkem dragon.

[Mint]

I tried to go to that topic you posted Paul - but its not working.

Well, all of the "official picks" are actually picks from the official video game manuals....i dont know.

Anyway!! (not gonna give anyone headaches)

Holly - you sooooo need a new avatar, because I get confused between you and lizzy

[Holly Golightly]

Tell me about it Mint!!!

I get confused too, and I wrote half of the things!!!

I looked up that page Paul suggested though, and really didnt' like any of then... then I spent about an hour searching on the net, finding absolutely nothing, before I gave up!!! And I dont' mean nothing as in pics that I didnt' like.. but no-where to get any at all!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!

But I will have to try again, it's seriously confusing!!!

[HuffleDuck]

there is a place.. *www.dragid.com try it out..

[Paul]

Even those don't seem to respect copyright:

From the Dragid site's FAQ:

Q: Did you make all these icons yourself?

A: I convert the animated gifs that I found on the net into the right dimension and size of an AIM icon. I don't take credit for their original creation, I only convert them.

Sorry, HuffleDuck, but if your avatar is from that site it's best to change it.

[Paul]

Sorry folks, the upload avatar facility has been turned off for now. There have been a few more possible copyright infringements that I've spotted over the last few days and rather than just end up going around in circles trying to ask everyone to comply, I've figured it's safer just to turn the facility off.

If anyone has their very own avatar that they have created from nothing (ie their own drawing that they drew or a photograph that they personally photographed), I'll try to get something organised shortly to enable these to be used after the particular avatar has been checked.

[Mint]

Please tell us when you will except the original avatars!!!! I really don't like using an avatar that practically everyone else has.