Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-7503158-20140327024119/@comment-4050367-20140327195547

Hi, I noticed this thread, so I decided to respond.

The issue with dA pictures and our policies is growing bigger and bigger, with more users using pictures without permission. However, the Picture Policy is a very difficult one.

Firstly, we want to make sure the people who actually made the pictures get credit. It wouldn't be fair if Chris Nolan made The Dark Knight, but then Josh Whedon used The Dark Knight as his own film.

Secondly though, we want to make sure there aren't TOO many restrictions about pictures, because pictures help us visualize characters, places, and aliens. If we restrict more and more types of images, soon very few will remain.

So the questions become: Is Credit enough? Is it not enough? Should all dA pictures be deleted? Should users be blocked for stealing dA pictures for a month? What should happen to a page if a stolen picture is on it. Should it be deleted? Should it be kept?

Most users use pictures from dA because they aren't artists, which is why they credit people who are artists if they use their pictures. For many, they find getting permission from the artist themself, and then redrawing the picture (so the original picture is not even used at all, only a version of it) to be too much of a hassle, when other things could be done.

So while there will be an immediate change of the rules, know that the issue is being discussed by administrators. If there is a change in rules, the community will vote on it once the administrators agree it needs to be voted on.