banner related copywrite question

My forums is currently comming up with ideas for our new banner and I'm wondering how to tell if something is copywriten or if it has an open source/creative commons license since I'll probably have to sort through a lot of banners that have pictures that members pull off of photobucket, yahoo img ect.Ect?

Basicly I want to know what I can use in our banners and what I can't.

Also I'm not sure if this is in the right spot...

LOL, ok you asked for it here it goes...

Copyright Concerns

This is a list of the big ones that we'd all recognize at first glance, for the most part. Please avoid using this artists works.

All GILD Artists *Present & Future*

Rion Vernon, John Hul, Elizabeth Austin, Carlos Cartagena, Anthony Guerra

DO NOT USE!!! (Their lawyers crack down hard on violators!)

DO NOT USE ANYTHING RUTH MOREHEAD!!! NOTHING IN THE FOLLOWING LINKS.

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/GallerieAnges/index.htm

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/BoysAndGirls/MoreheadBoysGirls.html

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/NouveauMorehead/index.htm

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/AssiettesMorehead/index.htm

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/Halloween/MoreheadHalloween.html

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/GallerieStValentinPatrick/index.htm

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/GallerieChristmas/index.htm

http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/Nouveau2002Dec/index.htm


http://perso.orange.fr/doigtsdefees/ImagesBB/Morehead/GallerieBabies/index.htm

***
ALL Disney Characters Piglet from "Winnie The Pooh" Works, ©Disney, ©A.A Milne and E.H. Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh", ©Disney,
©A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard Eyeore from "Winnie the Pooh" Works, ©Disney, AND OR ©A. A. Milne, E.H. Shepard Rabbit (From "Winnie the Pooh"), ©Disney, ©A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard

The Little Mermaid, ©Disney
ALF®, ©Warner Brothers Barbie™, ©Mattel, Inc.
Bratz Pack and Dolls
Batman™, ©DC Comics
Boyds Collection® (Bears)
Calico Kittens™, ©Enesco
ALL IMAGES©Ruth Morehead;
Hanna-Barbera™ ALLCharacters
Hello Kitty™, ©Sanrio
Dreamsicles, ©Cast ARt
Barney and Friends™, ©Lyons Partnership
Bozo The Clown, ©TM Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation
Rudolphtherednose reindeer©Rudolp Company, L.P.
Rugrats™, ©Nickelodeon
Smurfs, ©PEYO
Snowbabies®, ©Department 56
SnoWonders™, ©Department 56
Speed Racer, ©Nickelodeon
Tatty Teddy (Has a light blue nose!
The Wizard of Oz (Including All related characters/elements) - Tradmarks of ©Turner Entertainment Co.)
(The World Of) Beatix Potter

Berta Hummel™, ©W.
Judy Garland, ©Estate of Judy Garland
Betty Boop, ©King Features Syndicat Inc./Fleischers Studios Inc.
Blues Clues and ALL Nick Jr. programs and characters, ©Viacom Internation Inc.
Care Bears, ©Those Characters from Cleveland, Inc. - Subsidiary of American Greetings.
Cherised Teddies® by Priscilla Hillman, ©Enesco
Clifford The Big Red Dog, ©Scholastic, Inc.
Hasbro Products (all), ©Hasbro
He-Man Cartoons, ©Mattel, Inc.
ALL Hershy Foods Corporation
Garfield (and Odie), ©Jim Davis
The Little Rascals, ©King World Productions, Inc.
Curious George, © and Trademark of Houghton Mifflin Company, Licensed by Universal
Grinch Cartoon Characters, ©Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
Gumby™ and Pokey™, ©Premavision, Inc. and Prema Toy Co.
Hey Arnold (And all Characters), ©Nickelodeon
Hogan's Heroes, ©Viacom International, Inc.
blegum Kids (and other candy products)
Shrek and Characters, ©Dreamworks LLC
South Park (ALL CHARACTERS), ©Comedy Central
Warner Brothers Characters
Ziggy
Mary Engelbreit© (Artist)
Monopoly®,
Flintstones, ©Hanna-Barbera
G.I. Joe™, ©Hasbro
Looneytunes, ©Warner Brothers
SpongeBob Squarepants™ and Characters, ©Nickelodeon
Star Trek®, ©Paramount Pictures
Precious moment's
Howdy Doody (And Characters), ©NBC,Inc
Pillsbury (All Pillsbury Products
/Logos/Characters)
Pimboli (Teddy Bears)
Pokemon, ©Nintendo
Pokey™, ©Premavision, Inc. and Prema Toy Co.
Teletubbies, ©BBC
Odie (and Garfield), ©Jim Davis, ©uclick LLC and Paws, Inc.
Paddington Bear, ©Michael Bond/
©Paddington and Co., Ltd.Paramount Pictures
Peanuts® (Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, Linus, ect), ©United Features Syndicate, Inc.
PEZ®, ©PEZ Candy Inc.
Scooby Doo, ©Warner Brothersus Moments™, ©Previous Moments, Inc. (Limited)
Rainbow Brite - Hallmark Licensing Company
Jimmy Neutron, ©Nickelodeon
NFL (Nation Football League)
NHL (Nation Hockey League)
Nick Jr, TV Shows - All Characters and Cartoons, ©Viacom International Inc.
Ren and Stimpy, ©Nickelodeon
Strawberry Shortcake and Characters (Trademarks)
Superman™, ©DC Comics

Muppets™, ©Jim Henson Company
M and Ms®, ©Mars, Inc
Mars, Inc. (All candies have copyrights/trademarks)

Norman Rockwell - Artist (©Rockwell Family Trust/Estate)
Toxic Angel (Fantasy Artist)
Universal Pictures
Art by Tami Wolfgram (Artist)
Vernon Wooten (Artist)
GoebelPozellanfabrik GmbH
and Co. KG, Germany
9 Chickweed Lane (United Media)
ArtNatAm (Native American Artists)
Artplaymix (Anime site)
Ron Barsano (Artist)

Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo (Artists)
(Armurol Confections Company)
Christ-Centered Mall Art Gallery
Donato Art Gallery (Artist: Donato Giancola)
Elfquest, ©Warp Graphics, Inc.
Fantasy Artworld (Artist: Wendy and Brian Froud)
Farscape Fantasy ©The Jim Henson Company
Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker
[Estate of Mary Cicely Barker]
Lisa Frank (Artist)
Wendy and Brian Froud
Todd Lockwood (Fantasy Artist)
House Mouse, ©Ellen Jareckie, ©House-Mouse Designs
Jael (Artist)
Mouse Tales® By Priscilla Hillman, ©Enesco
Judy O'Brien (artist)
Shepard
Rein Poortvliet (Dutch Painter; Artist/Illustrator of "Kabouter" Dutch Gnomes)
Susan's Bears
Valerie Tabor-Smith (Artist)
Teddey Bears By Forever Friends
Ragdoll
Lena Lui© (Artist)
Makoto Muramatsu
June Marucci (artist)
Anne Geddes (Artist)
Dona Gelsinger (Artist)
Jennifer Janesko (Pinup Artist)
Sandra Kuck© (Artist)
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law (Artist)
Sarah's Angels™, ©Pavilion Gifts
Sandra Lynam Clough - Tapestries Artist
Ken Danby (Artist)
Sue Dawe (Fantasy Artist)
Kate Dawidiziak (Ever Enchanted Artwork/Fantasy Artist)
James Dean, ©CMG Worldwide
Dexter's Lab, ©Nintendo
Dickens' Village Series®, ©Department 56
Dilbert©
Louise Harvey (Fantasy Artist)
Priscilla Hillman (Artist) (Mose Tales®, and Cherished Teddies®),
©Enesco
Daniel B. Holeman (Artist)
Joseph Holodook (Artist)©Hasbro
Pretty As A Picture®, NBM Balmer Studios/Alask Momma. Inc., ©Kim Anderson
Ann Salisbury (artist)
Seraphim Classics®, ©Roman
Michael Whelan (artist)
Maria J. William (Artist)
Sarah Theophilus (Pet Artist)
L.A. Williams (Artist) - LAW Studio Fantasy Art
Windel Winni

(THE ARTIST BELOW NEED WRITTEN PERMISSION, YOU REALLY NEED TO ASK!
Don Seegmiller (Artist - Needs Written Permission for art usage!!)

Carol Heiman-Greene (wildlife artist- Needs Permission!)

Victoria S. Griffin (Artist- Dreams, Shades, and Fairytales - Needs permission)

Daniel Hahlbohm (Religious Artist-Needs permission)

Digital By Nature (wallpaper scenery etc - Needs PERMISSION)

Cute Colores (Read their STRICT TOU; it depends on how you want to use them)

Llewellyn Publications (ask permission first!!!)

Marine ARt (Marine Art and Gallery - Needs Permission!)
German Cartoon)

Here is some other useful Information

The Library of Congress:
United States Copyright Office

What is Copyright Protection?
http://whatiscopyright.org/

Copyright: Problems, Arguments, and a Solution.
http://www.lindagruber.com/novelart/legal/copyrite.htm

10 Big Myths copyright explained.
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

What is Bandwidth Theft?
http://www.phenomenalwomen.com/donteventhinkaboutit/

Stop Internet Plagiarism:
http://phenomenalwomen.com/plagiarism/

It would probably be more simple to say, "if an image doesn't come from a free use source - don't even think about using it!"

Thanks You! This is a lot of info, I think the way to go on this will be a member created original... just probably be safer that way I think

Yes, member created originals would be perfect. And yes for many all you really have to do is ask the artist, Jeff Wilkie, and Jim Warren and David Penfound create beautiful art, some of the best I have seen... if you ask them they will probably agree for you to use under conditions (they usually agree because it brings them business when people view their art online)... All you have to do to Jim Warren's Jeff wilkie and David penfound art is add their websites and copyrights, but most of all ask, ask first if you can use their art, they really want to know.

A Jim Warren art must have this

©JimWarren @
www.JimWarren.com
Animated or recreated by
Whoever you are.


David Penfounds art would look something like this one...



Sandra