Copyright
Copyright can be a very hypocritical subject when it comes to mural design. We do not expect our own work to be copied and yet muralists all over the world often use the work of (or work in the style of) other artists. The most obvious example is artwork owned by the Walt Disney Corporation.
You’d be hard pressed to find a muralist who has never copied the famous characters from the Disney portfolio and quite often it can be a mural artist’s bread and butter. This is a common place practice and what is technically copyright infringement in these cases is overlooked. No muralist has ever been taken to court over it. I believe the main reasons for this are, as a piece of art in itself, a mural is not ‘mass produced’ and uses a method that the company does not use itself. Also, high quality muralists like myself do not cheapen the brand by offering poor imitations and in fact promote the Disney brand name. In addition, I only reproduce these images for private homes and never in public commissions or on public display without the agreement of the copyright holder.
As all muralists have access to these images and can choose to use them or not, we are on a level playing field. However, when it comes to our own unique creations and without the financial backing of multi-million dollar corporations like Disney, artists have to be a bit more protective. This is why all of my own design work is marked with the copyright symbol and I have included a disclaimer below to make it clear how my work can be used.
Of course while browsing for a muralist or looking for inspiration we all download images from the internet now and then. I’d be flattered if you choose to download mine for your own personal use, however if you wish to use any image in any of the ways listed below then I need to be informed. Most of the time I’ll just asked to be credited as the author of the work, so get in touch if you’re not sure.
Copyright Disclaimer
With regards to my artwork, all rights are reserved by the author.
Copyright © 2011 Elizabeth Holcroft, © 2011 Elizabeth Mural Design.
The copyright on all work produced by Elizabeth Holcroft and Elizabeth Mural Design is owned by Elizabeth Holcroft in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This states that the creators of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, broadcasts, films and typographical arrangement of published editions, have the right to control the ways in which their material may be used.
It is an offence to perform any of the following acts without the consent of Elizabeth Holcroft:
Copy the work;
Rent, lend or issue copies of the work to the public;
Perform, broadcast or show the work in public;
Adapt the work.
If you would like to use it in any of the forms shown above please apply for consent.
For consent call 01235 203 518, email info@elizabethmuraldesign.co.uk or write to: Elizabeth Mural Design, 55 Bostock Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK OX14 1DW.
All infringements of copyright will be pursued by Elizabeth Mural Design as a member of the Federation of Small Businesses.
