Chapter 12. Copyright and Portfolio

Not too long ago, it was easier to call an artist and ask for permission to use their work than it was to appropriate it. Now that so many projects are digital, there is a smorgasbord of ways to borrow, sample, copy, alter, and out-and-out steal creative work. It is also harder to stay within the law, even when your intentions are honorable.

How does this affect your portfolio? In more ways than you might imagine.

A few examples: The website you designed may be copyrighted by the company that paid your fee. The photos from the royalty-free CD you used may have reverted to the copyright of their original creator. A print project that’s perfectly legitimate to display in a traditional portfolio might get you ...

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