Question on creating new symbols ?

832
4
04-18-2017 11:32 AM
PROBERT68
Frequent Contributor

Good Afternoon everyone from Colorado,

As I am working on creating new layers, add new symbols, eltcetera ,    to try and go align  with the Monarch Ski Areas...

My question to you is it legal for me to copy and create a new symbol to match with this "Welcome to Monarch Mountain" 's poster.  This poster is a skewed and is not a real world.

Now if you look at the Map Key in the poster and it is at the lower right side of the poster. What  I would like to do is copy and paste these and then creating them into a new symbols .....

What would I do is open up the pdf of this poster and zoom into the Map Key  section I showed it you above with the six on the list..

So using the OneNote and use the "Take Screen clipping" and it saves to Mircosoft OneNote:  

Then save it as a PNG file.

See here :

and add them to ArcMap  using this Creating new styles—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop 

Would that work ?

Do you have any recommend before I dive into them ?

BTW, I do not see any copyright stamped on this poster and should I be concern if I do ?  Should I asked the company who created them and asked for an copy ?

Thoughts ????

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4 Replies
ChrisDonohue__GISP
MVP Alum

In regards to the presence of a copyright mark and using an image, my Graphics Arts professor cautioned us in class against using others imagery without permission even if it did not include a copyright, as at least in United States copyright law just the creation of an image gives the creator implied copyright. The act of filing for an official copyright with the US government is an additional protection; but the absence of having filed does not negate their copyright, it just limits it.

I'd cover your bases and get written permission to use their image/logo etc.  Given that you work for a government agency, you may also want to run it by your legal staff as to what the specific agreement needs to be.  Also, another complexity is that it may not be obvious who owns the copyright for an image/logo, as in some cases the organization using it had it created by another person/organization (for example, an independent Graphic Artist) and uses it under license from the creator.

"Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution."

Source:  Copyright - Wikipedia 

Chris Donohue, GISP

PROBERT68
Frequent Contributor

I have a question for you So, if you have a legend that you wanted to copy to use for the legend but We know  it is against the US copyright law as you described it above. What if you create a font to build and use the style to be use the the legend. Would that be considering against the US Copyright law if you create one that is almost look-like the symbol ?

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ChrisDonohue__GISP
MVP Alum

I'm not a lawyer, so can't say with absolute certainty, but my guess would be that if you make your own symbology in ArcGIS that is similar to what others have used, it is probably OK unless you made it exactly as someone else did.  For example, I would stay away from using any very distinctive elements that were used in the original.

I don't know if we have someone familiar with the finer points of this issue on GeoNet - if so I'd be curious also to hear what the specifics are on this issue.

Chris Donohue, GISP

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PROBERT68
Frequent Contributor

Thanks for the replying on this.. It would be nice if others who read this and have the similar situation I'd like to hear on that as well.

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