Any artist will tell you how positively irritating it is that everything on the internet seems to be “fair game” for the average internet user. Because images, text, and video show up on Google search, for example, the average person seems to believe these images came from nowhere and are free to use for whatever they see fit. This is, of course, not the case. Improperly using images, whether for profit or otherwise, can see you quickly in hot water with at best a bill for licensing/royalties but at worst with a copyright infringement lawsuit.
But what happens when a work becomes a meme? Does that somehow change things? The answer is: no, no it does not. While chasing down every single uncredited and/or used-without-permission instance of your work can eat up all of your waking hours and is not feasible, there are real consequences for those who want to monetize said works without first getting the proper clearance.
Continue reading “The Artists behind the Meme: Crediting Common Memes”