Super sad feels today, I received a complaint about my Parks and Rec artwork via redbubble from nbc, as it is considered infringement. Which it is and nbc have every right to have it removed from the website, I fully understand and accept that’s the case in regard to most fan art. (Though it could be argued that my works are transformative, and thus would be protected and not infringing).
Of course recently there’s been a lot more understanding between fan artists and the creators of show/movies/comics about fan art and the sale of fan art. A considerable amount of parks and recreation fan art (some images which are just screen caps from the show) remains available for sale on redbubble but a portion of my art has been taken down. Beside the fact that the sale of this art which is relatively small (I’ve had it up for all of 2 months) and that this money has come at a time when I really couldn’t need it more. The Parks and Recreation social media team have twice used my art on their tumblr and their facebook page, without asking me, but with varyingly successful attempts to credit me. Considering I am obviously a massive fan of the show on both occasions I was deeply flattered by them featuring my art. However I’m pretty sure this complaint and removal of my art from redbulbble has happened as a direct result of these interactions, and it is sooooo disheartening.
Like I have a whole set of these images in the works, I’m only about half way through and now I don’t know if I want to keep making them after getting in trouble with the original creators. I also don’t want to make art, that will get me in trouble, I don’t like being in trouble. I’m not a full time artist, I make it between a parttime job and fulltime university. I also feel pretty betrayed by the P&R social media team, they’ve used my art for their own promotion and simultaneously punished me for trying to sell it. Now I understand the nbc ip team and the p&r social media team are probably not one and the same, but none the less I feel pretty discouraged and as I said betrayed. There was no attempt to contact me with a hey maybe don’t do that or anything of that nature. Which again I know they’re a big company and that’s probably not how they role but still.
Ugh, I’m just genuinely hurt by the interaction, which has come entirely out of creating art about a thing I love and that just fucking sucks.
