DA submission agreement explained in English

[Skysong]

Just a heads-up for those of you still using, or really who have ever used, DeviantArt. I found this deviation which puts DA's user agreement into plain English, and parts of it are really rather scary... such as: "deleting" your art from the site does not remove it from DA's archives, and DA can still use it largely however it likes, even though you've technically "left".

The link is here:

www.deviantart.com/deviation/22141509/

You have to click on "download" in order to view the file, as it's in .pdf format.

I'd recommend everyone who has been involved in DA read this. It's very enlightening.

[Devin]

Kinda makes me unwilling to upload there. I spend alot of time on my work and my charectors, and I don't want them taken. Anyone know if places like Sheezyart have the same policies?

[Indigo]

From what I've heard Sheezyart has more wide spread art thieft issues. :/

Anyway, I read over alot of this back in August and I didn't notice anything to get too upset over - if DA really went out and did some of this stuff everyone is so scared about then people would abandon the site in droves and DA would lose all around. *shrugs*

[Skysong]

Just because DA hasn't done anything to take advantage of peoples' art doesn't mean that they're not going to. They're a 'for profit' company, after all.

As the linked document states, the submission agreement would still be functional and binding without the 'we own the rights forever!' clause and without several other nastier parts of the agreement. Is there really any reason for DA to own not just the rights to your art, but the rights forever?

EDIT: And in the end, it's really up to each individual whether or not they're comfortable agreeing to that kind of thing ^_^ I'm just trying to get the word out so that people can make an informed choice.

[MadMooCow]

hmm.. interesting.. I'll make my mind up once I have read it all.
Thanks heaps for posting it Skysong

[Devin]

I think I'm going to take my stuff off Deviantart. I just finished my own personal website where I can upload my art and then no one will be owning my art but me. I just don't like the idea of my losing a hard-earned charector or artpiece or story because the DA officials decide to take it.

Plus, I'm thinking even more of writing...this means they can publish our writing. And for thsoe of us giving out previews of a piece we want published, that clause could turn ugly.

Deviantart might be able to keep alot of spport if they took it out.

[MadMooCow]

Very true...
It is convinient and all to just wack up an image or whatever, but now I'm not so sure. I think I'll re-work my site and get it all up there and take all my stuff down, and then plug my site form there.
I get paranoid about art theft and stuff like that.

[Sith Lord FP]

i know that in a little while i myself am going to take down my stuff...i was thinking about putting my animation in quicktime form up there....but i think i just might send it to whoever wants to see it instead...or something *shrugs*...bleh....makes me just not want to put art up at all V_V;.

[SunBlind Dragon]

Geocities had some kind of terms like that too. Anything you posted on their host belonged to them and technically they could do with it what they wanted. Lots of people bailed out at that point. I think they changed their terms after that.

In the end, chance are they wouldn't use anything in that way, but its always a scary clause to any contract.

[AirRaiser]

Basicly the only thing any one can really do to stop art theft and stuff like that is everyone in the world must stop drawing all together. Just stop! As crazy as that sounds if there is no art there is no art theft. Sadly all people think about now a days is money. Sometimes I hate being human >.<

Unfortunetly drawing is a Dying art, and anyone who can do it can be taken advantage of by others. I've run my own gallery before for quite a few years, it's a pain, takes up tons of space, no commenting, and basicly is a big waste of effort IMO. That's why I'm still on DA and SA. If I actully felt like paying to get my own site I might consider making a new gallery, but meh what's the point. I dunno just me rambling, think I should go to bed now.

[Cel Theory]

AR - I use a gallery program on my site that allows commenting; I've also been planning to program one for private use at sometime.

[MadMooCow]

I've been meaning to re-do my site for a while now, this just gives me an excues to do it. I serisously doubt that DA would be that desprate to do anything to the nuber of artists on that site. I still find it worrying however

[LadyL]

Noone around here uses elfwood? www.elfwood.com
I haven't used them myself, but they have apparently a really good reputation.

Edit: And about posting writing that you want to get published - I might be wrong here, but as I've understood it, if you put something up on the net that is public it counts in many ways as if you have published it - so you might have problems getting it published in certain magazines, for contests, etc that require that your work has to be unpublished - mailing lists doesnt count because they are seen as closed groups.

[arborwin]

Elfwood has a pretty stagnant and restricted definition of fantasy and sci-fi. I don't think it'd be much trouble for most people here, but the layout and the submission process is extremely awkward to boot. I was a member years ago when they were less stringent, and it was a waste of time even then.

[tlouey]

thanks skysong