New Beta Art Viewer for ConceptArt.Org, the pending Orphan Bill and solutions.

[Jason Manley]

Please take a look and share your thoughts. Please enjoy the first half million images too. If you find any bugs in this beta, please let us know.

In an effort to give back and to begin to take on bigger challenges as a community, ConceptArt.Org has been quietly working to solve the pending Orphan Bill (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqBZd0cP5Yc for more information on what we are up against and what we desperately are creating solutions for).

This summer we helped send thousands of emails to the members of the US House and Senate to stop this bill. What did we get in return? Canned email form letters thanking us for sharing our views. The bill drafts went the House and Senate anyway. The artists, professionals, and creative organizations who were trying to protect artist rights were ignored by our government completely. Realizing that even a hundred thousand signatures wont stop the copyright bill, at least that is how it looks from here, I got to thinking what we have to do to solve the problems right here at home.

Artists having to pay to be in searchable registries is problem number one. I believe this will be left to the private companies based on my research into who is supporting this horrible bill and what businesses are opening up. I went in and checked the domain registry to search to see if people were buying the domains (registermyart.com, artregistry.com, etc..etc...) and every one I searched was gone. This was the red flag that began the real push to solve what we are dealing with. The corporate sharks are already preparing to feed it seems.

Since the business world reads the laws and tries to capitalize on the loopholes, it is obvious to me that this would happen. Money is already flowing that direction. My guess is the art registries will launch as soon as the law passes or shortly thereafter, unless some miracle happens. Smart buggers. Imagine the photographers who take five hundred images a day or more...ugh. Artists cannot pay for this service...at least those I know who produce quantities of work...and none should have to.

Anyway, that problem is now solved in low tech fashion here: http://www.conceptart.org/search/index.php?cat=bestof&forumid=5 ConceptArt.Org has created a search system for locating art and artists, essentially cutting off the paid registry industry before they can even get off the ground. Click the images and find the original thread. Click the artist name and contact them directly. This also keeps these readying companies from acting as middlemen, between the searcher and the artist who they wish to hire. There is no room for that in our business.

I designed and we rebuilt all our databases and set up conceptart.org servers to handle up to 200 terabytes of secure storage. This service is entirely free and is a gift to the community from ConceptArt.Org. It is also nice as you can now browse through the images on the site very quickly. What used to take a week, now takes hours. Released in this viewer are five hundred thousand images. More will be added shortly. When you post on the forums your images go in the copyright search registry we created. It is all automated for you. Just keep doing as you do and at least your work can be found. The watermark will be site wide, and contains the appropriate information. We are working to be sure the older images in the database are accurately marked and you can edit your own copyright info as well.

You can search best of (five star threads) for fun...or from each forum if you click the "forums images" text tab...there are a ton of ways to look for stuff. key wording is in progress. That is the final piece of the basic search tool.

The idea is to simply kick the entire start up registry industry in the nuts before it can even learn to stand up by taking action ourselves.

Anyway...just some thoughts...my vision for where this heads is deeper than this but it should at least help some, i hope. I spoke at length with Brad Holland and others involved in putting up the fight for artists rights and we have solved two of the biggest issues.

1. That artists could have to pay for their works to be registered and protected in the US, and there is evidence supporting this.
2. That these companies would then act as middle men between prospective clients searching the databases by requiring the company or person searching to pay them for your information.

Obviously, these problems must not happen.

There are other problems being solved, as related to this bill and this is just a first step in the best defense is a good offense mentality we have here.

Happy New Year too!


Jason

[Jason Manley]

Additional info on the orphan bill is here: http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185

For now, please enjoy looking through all the art! We have much more to do here.

[MiniGoth]

This is amazing. Mind blowingly amazing. Christmas did come this year.

[Equality72521]

so i got a question: We make a portfolio thread in the Registry, with all our finished works in it so it can be protected? Isnt that basically the same as the Galleries? So instead of a sketchbook thread, where we update anything from doodles to finished work, we would just update finished work, Like Blackfrog does in the FF section, adding on to his thread instead of making another. Am I correct in saying this?

BTW, you deserve a spot in heaven for this Jason!

[DavePalumbo]

We make a portfolio thread in the Registry, with all our finished works in it so it can be protected? Isnt that basically the same as the Galleries? So instead of a sketchbook thread, where we update anything from doodles to finished work, we would just update finished work, Like Blackfrog does in the FF section, adding on to his thread instead of making another. Am I correct in saying this?

I think it's something done automatically whenever you upload an image to the CA server. All your sketchbook, FF, WIP, etc. images, provided that you upload them instead of hosting yourself, automatically get registered.

Pretty fancy system, and already one of the most incredible image databases I've ever seen. Besides copyright issues and all that which it's designed for, it's also an awesome tool for viewing a condensed, no nonsesne stream of images from any participating artist. That alone is totally amazing.

[Equality72521]

I think it's something done automatically whenever you upload an image to the CA server. All your sketchbook, FF, WIP, etc. images, provided that you upload them instead of hosting yourself, automatically get registered.


Yeah i understand that part, ive looked at it and was completely blown away. but im talking about the Art Registry Forum. Jason has put the Massive Black portfolio on there, so i am guessing it was an example to follow. Otherwise, why create a whole new sub-forum if you arent going to add portfolios?

This is a place for you to make your very own thread, with all your works. that is the first line of the Registry FAQ

[Jason Manley]

This is just part of the database...a small portion of it. More are being added daily.

IMG tagging is being turned off. The integrity of the site has to be maintained.

If you already posted the images on the site you do not need to post them in your registry thread. It is just a place, like the sketchbook forums, for those who prefer to post all their work in one place. If all your work is on the forums, it would not need to be duplicated there. If you want everything you do in one thread, no matter the genre or media or type, you can post it in the registry forums.

Additional tech features to make it easier for everyone, are in the works. Our vision for where CA is headed is deep. Doing what we can...so thanks for the support. The upgrades to the portfolio site are coming as well. Much to do...and much appreciation too.


best,


j

[Ryuartyi]

This is fantastic Jason. It's great to see that CA is still fighting against the Orphan Works Bill, and I feel a lot more secure on putting finished works on here when I'm ready.

Thanks a lot for this system.

[DannySketch]

thank you.

[Interceptor]

wow, thank you so much...
I'm honestly stunned by thhis. It must take of of personal time, and alot of CA's resources to pull this off. Thanks a ton, Jason.

[TASmith]

Jason you're a saint! Thank you!

[Brashen]

I can see how CA benefits from all of this and I'm glad that it does. Giving so much it's only fair it takes a little bit. Jason you've just made a friend for life ^^

[PuppyKitten]

This is a pretty epic step for you guys.

Just by being a member I feel like I'm involved in some revolutionary underground revolt against The Man.

Jason, you and your team should get some sort of Nobel Peace Prize for this, thank you!

[Alex Chow]

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiit.

[Nrx]

damn im so speechless, thanks to everyone who made this possible.. really

so jason, how does it feel to go from a homeless 17 year old to a guy who has the power to kick a bunch of corporate money spinning souless passionless dickheads in the balls while providing a beautifull home for thousands of growing artists? a place were we can all feel accepted, surrounded by people who see things from the same general perspective...


holy shit man, i cant belive you did all this?

this is some serious disney shit, did you pull a pencil from a stone or something?

[B u r l]

i'm still quite confused with the bill.

i was struck by it at first and got wrapped up with the emotional aspect that many other artists appear to be, but you could weigh it on mostly a good vs. possible bad thing. there's likely to be more copyright infringement, but with all the cool old stuff surfacing because of the passage, then it could potentially outweigh that. can someone please clarify this up if i'm mistaken?

nice job with the search database.

[waronmars]

ahh goodbye all my sketchbook images -_- Is this going to be all img tags already on the site or just from now on?

[Nibras]

Again am wow'd by this community
This is the most awesome, brilliant freaking thing in the whole world!
Lets see someone say they don't have inspiration again!
Thank you jaso and everyone

[realitychek]

I'm at a loss of words, just thank you.

[Jason Manley]

ahh goodbye all my sketchbook images -_- Is this going to be all img tags already on the site or just from now on?


all img tagged images are safe. we are just requiring all images be uploaded from here on out.


j

[daestwen]

all img tagged images are safe. we are just requiring all images be uploaded from here on out.


I'm guessing this includes all the poll images and CHOW adverstising stuff, right?

Never the less,

Awesome.

[N D Hill]

Very cool. I realize this is a defense measure against legislation that's seems beyond our control, let alone the democratic process, but I can easily foresee something like this serving an even greater positive purpose. It seems like a great way to solidify the community's role as a hub for the freely gathering talent and talent seekers alike. Thanks to Jason and the programming crew who are making this possible.

[Grumbledook]

I would ask you to reconsider removing the use of img tags. I am quite happy posting my photos from my own hosting marking them with my site logo and url.

I can see how the database is a good idea, but having my images named with a proper title instead of attachmentid=69698 or whatever is much better for them showing up in google image search.

I will admit being in the UK I am not all fully up to date with the whole ins and out of the orphan bill and quite how it will affect things on an international scale I am unsure. Image theft has been a problem on the internet for many years and something users of flickr (for example) have had to deal with for quite a while.

From what I gather the user of "stolen material" has to prove they attempted to find the copyright owner of the image by searching a database (ie this ca.org one). It is looking like companies are going to be setting up said databases and charging for their uses, hence the reason to provide a free one here. So are they going to have to search every database that is set up? So the main benefit of using the attachment manager in combination of the database is providing some cover for artists using it.

Removing a common and well known feature of the forum software from those who use it may be detrimental to forum and it would certainly annoy me for one. I prefer not using the attachment manager it's far more convoluted to use than img tags, should I amend an image I've posted in various places its much easier to change it just on my hosting than having to go update it everywhere and there is the aforementioned seo reason.

Unless I've been mistaken on the whole issue and there is some extra benefit compared to what I have outlined above, I am all ears to be enlightened. Otherwise I applaud the work and effort you are putting in, but give yourself a break and save the time and effort that was going to be spent removing the use of img tags ;]

[Cookiedough]

You've done a lot of work and it really shows a lot of effort that you're doing this for CA, Jason. I admire all the hard work you put in it. However, this is an American law, and i'm not even sure what the effect would be for any non-Americans like me. Also, there's very little influence/difference i can make in this whole system.

For now, i like to use my own webspace to show my pictures on, instead of uploading it to CA. I'd really regret it if the img tags would go. Perhaps it's foolish in all the legal hassle, but to me my own URLs are important enough. Grumbledook says it all more eloquently. Perhaps as a courtesy, you could leave the img tags?

[TheJester]

this is some serious disney shit, did you pull a pencil from a stone or something?

AAAhahahaa :D :D :D

[chaosrocks]

heres an interesting question

suppose I upload an image into a forum section that is not normally accesable to all CA members. if the image is attached via CA... does it then become part of the searchable data base ad therefore accesable for everyone? is there still a way to maintain the integrity of the limited access portions of the forum? does it come up attached to my name?

if not then there are places that should be warned before those images become accesible to the entire CA public

[ChaoticKnight]

Hmm... couple questions just to clear up some confusion?

If its the fact that people need to search for artists, should our conceptart.org names be our RL names? Otherwise it seems they'd have to search for our titles here on this site, or is there something I'm missing?

Also, I've searched my name and only the most recent (self portrait day) showed up. Does that mean I should re-up to the registry forum/and/or go through every upload and implement that new copyright information feature?

Thanks again, really great thing you're doing here.

[DavePalumbo]

My biggest annoyance with the uploader tool is that your images get put at the end of your post in the order you attached them

if you click the paperclip icon up top (hover over and it says "attachments") you can insert them into your post and place them any way that you like

[Demonique768]

Shut Up! You can't be serious this bill is for real!? wow dude... wow

Thanks for letting us know.

Oh don't post stuff of facebook either, apparently they claim the rights to any picture uploaded for them to use however they please.

[Craig D]

Chaos
I tried to do what you are suggesting and attempted
to look at all images in the *****. Yes it shows it as a searchable subforum
but it tells me I do not have access to that page. (Damn!) So it appears you're safe.

[chaosrocks]

thanKS CRAIG
we all know the place doesnt really exist
check your pms for another request....
I would surely appreciate it

crx

since I can't get answers quick enough to ferret out info. ( ad I am not a patient person) I am trying to see what happens by experimentation

(edit) problem solved. there is no problem.. these are not the droids you are looking for....move along

[Jason Manley]

heres an interesting question

suppose I upload an image into a forum section that is not normally accesable to all CA members. if the image is attached via CA... does it then become part of the searchable data base ad therefore accesable for everyone? is there still a way to maintain the integrity of the limited access portions of the forum? does it come up attached to my name?

if not then there are places that should be warned before those images become accesible to the entire CA public


no i do not believe so. the girls forum has to stay private, for example. If it does, I will have it fixed. Good point to be sure. but what you are asking was never requested and the programmer Marian is not one to cut such corners. He is doing a great job.

[bat]

Very awesome gesture.
Is there a way that you could set up a subscription service here, like a service via PayPal, that would pay into Concept Art each month? Maybe a $5 amount or so? If enough people can do this it would help out the cause without making it mandatory for people to pay. I would happily sign up for this on day one of it being implemented and I don't think that any special features need to be associated to this, just knowing that you are helping everyone out should be enough.

[Jason Manley]

Hmm... couple questions just to clear up some confusion?

If its the fact that people need to search for artists, should our conceptart.org names be our RL names? Otherwise it seems they'd have to search for our titles here on this site, or is there something I'm missing?

Also, I've searched my name and only the most recent (self portrait day) showed up. Does that mean I should re-up to the registry forum/and/or go through every upload and implement that new copyright information feature?

Thanks again, really great thing you're doing here.


no you do not have to do this. your images will show shortly. this is only the first portion of the database...the beta. you can use your name if you wish, but your online username will also suffice. Once the keyword generator is input, your stuff will be found whether you put your name or anything else.


j

[Matsign]

Thank you so much for this Jason. It's not surprising to hear the domains are being swallowed up already for revenue to take advantage of artists.

There is nothing bad to say about CA and its philanthropy.

[Sonaj]

Great stuff happening here.
Many thanks to all involved in this effort.

The only thing i was wondering about; what to do with threads where random pictures are posted that will be in this system unneccessary, like the cheer me up thread? Or threads where pictures of other artists are posted eg for inspiration. There might come up some copyright confusions and also useless traffic for the servers. I have already seen several pics attributed to artists in this system that are clearly not their work

Maybe everybody should be more aware of what they upload in the future?

[squidmonk3j]

fantastic effort and dedication, guys.

[algenpfleger]

Amazing, just amazing. Thank you so much for doing this Jason :)

[2100]

The gallery is amazing... Thank you for leading the fight!

Cutting them to the chase is a good idea. But is it really possible to make a free registry?

It's certain that there will be a lot of politics and financial costs (licenses, taxes, etc.) associated with running an official registry. So even if you're prepared to foot the bill, the benefactors of the Orphan Bill will fight you at every level to secure profits for themselves.

[fanficbug]

Very awesome gesture.
Is there a way that you could set up a subscription service here, like a service via PayPal, that would pay into Concept Art each month? Maybe a $5 amount or so? If enough people can do this it would help out the cause without making it mandatory for people to pay. I would happily sign up for this on day one of it being implemented and I don't think that any special features need to be associated to this, just knowing that you are helping everyone out should be enough.

I would love to get in on this, if you were to make something like this. It wouldn't be much, but I would at least have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm helping everyone. :)


I also have another question, or rather an appeal. I was wondering if I could post my fractal art in a portfolio so that it shows up in the database? If the bill goes through, then I am planning on pulling it from all the sites that I am on. Nonetheless, my pieces have been stolen so many times that I fear it would do no good at all. (In fact, just last week I found one of my hi-res originals on a polish blog--no clue how it got there, seeing as I keep a tight reign on where they go.) I know this forum is for improving only certain types of art, and I can understand that, but I am terrified about where my fractals are going to go. :$ So, may I?

Thanks so much for this. You guys rock on so many levels.

[bat]

I already have one PayPal monthly subscription for geocaching and this is much more worthwhile. Basically at a certain time each month an amount is automatically deducted from your PayPal account. If just a hundred of us were to do this that is US$500 a month going to a worthy cause.

[Jason Manley]

All that would be helpful. Those wishing to donate to the cause can email our admin Melissa Lee at melissa@massiveblack.com The site is expensive for us to run and we do what we can, but any support is very welcome as we can use the budgets for additional tech sooner. Much thanks.

fanficbug, if you pull your images you no longer get exposure and you no longer would be sharing your works. If they are out now, they are already in circulation. It is better that you have your images up so you can be found, than not.

Sonaj, the older images are attributed currently to those who posted the images. Users will be getting an email to search their username and edit their appropriate content. Mods and admins will also have that option. At this time the best thing is for each person to go in and edit their content they previously posted. Users putting false copyright info will obviously be problematic and not allowed to participate here. Since the bill is not yet passed, we have time to solve these remaining issues...much to do. much to do.

This is not going to become a pay service. We do have ways people can support the site now. GET THE DOWNLOADS as that is what funds this stuff. You want to see more progress, get more downloads...learn...post more work...and make this a better place than it is. We all have that ability here.

j

[bat]

Thank you for the email address, Jason and I will send an inquiry there and buy a couple more downloads.

As you mentioned from the start that it wasn't going to be a paid service I wasn't inferring or suggesting that it should be, but that those of us who can afford to do a little more to give back to the community would have an easy way to do so via a monthly subscription.

[Sonaj]

Sonaj, the older images are attributed currently to those who posted the images. Users will be getting an email to search their username and edit their appropriate content. Mods and admins will also have that option. At this time the best thing is for each person to go in and edit their content they previously posted. Users putting false copyright info will obviously be problematic and not allowed to participate here. Since the bill is not yet passed, we have time to solve these remaining issues...much to do. much to do.

j

Thanks for the quick answer, Jason.
Sounds very reasonable, you guys seem to have thought of everything. I just went through my content and edited, that was quite embarrassing haha
:yayca:

[chaosrocks]

ok heres a problem

when I moderated the Tarot TD in the girl forum. I rehosted all the works in FF.. so the entire contest entries is coming up under my name adn they aren't mine. now I could go through and delete these .. but they are marvelous works adn I really don't want them lost or scattered to the separate winds.
what do I do?

[Black Spot]

In the Critique section, I’m sometimes working with the original, the reference (where I have no idea of who owns it) and my overlay. I’ve put ‘Various’ as the copyright holder if it’s a total mishmash, or the OP when I’ve done a rework of sorts. Neither is correct. Help?!

[Jason Manley]

if you dont know, type UNKNOWN in the copyright holder input area.


jason

[Jason Manley]

ok heres a problem

when I moderated the Tarot TD in the girl forum. I rehosted all the works in FF.. so the entire contest entries is coming up under my name adn they aren't mine. now I could go through and delete these .. but they are marvelous works adn I really don't want them lost or scattered to the separate winds.
what do I do?


We are doing a couple things to solve this. One is to allow viewers to input correction requests. The fastest is to edit your own, which you are able to now. I will get a write up on this shortly. Meeting time now.


Jason

[CruShTinbOX]

Really awesome Jason. Thanks for doing this. I'm so happy to be a part of this community. :yayca:

[Sorknes]

Thank you, this is awsome. If it is indeed so you can search on your own images and fix whatever you posted, this is a great move. :)

I can see how it benefits both the users and conceptart.org.

Will download, sir! *salutes*

[Brun]

thx so much Jason, U will defintly be remembered for taking the first step to punch those assholes in the nuts. thx allot

[carlosranna]

I read the whole thread, but i´m not so sure if my doubt have been answered somewhere, even tough Dave Palumbo came close to it. Sorry if it´s a dumb question. I even took a look at the support session and coulden´t find it...


My biggest annoyance with the uploader tool is that your images get put at the end of your post in the order you attached them
if you click the paperclip icon up top (hover over and it says "attachments") you can insert them into your post and place them any way that you like

I post an image in my sketchbook, then i will post the same image in the community mentoring thread. Do i really have to attach the image twice? Or am i missing something? Woulden´t it make the system full of redundancies and make the hosting even more expensive to CA?

[Taboo]

Damn, so they really are going through with this?

[Peter Coene]

Jason, this is friggin' AWESOME!

If I ever actually do get a decent job I'm going to make sure to donate to CA.org or something.

[NamelessOne]

This is frustrating. I am online basically every day, read news frequently, and its the FIRST time I've ever heard of this insanity.

Thanks to Jason for the heads-up on the Orphan Bill Trojan horse. If it weren't for the e-mail you people sent out, I would never have known about this.

Ed

[polarRook]

Awesome work jason.. everyone here loves you!!! :D

[tensai]

Very very admirable initiative!

One thing I found that might be relevant to everybody interested in this problem is that in Photoshop CS4 you can do a 'saveforweb' and include your copyright data, or all data that you put in the information tags of the images. So you can leave your mail address phone number, web site, other people that collaborated on the picture etc etc.
So it's a lot easier to leave your info even on small web images..

(As an aside, I think the uploader would be more user friendly if you could use last-saved-setting, perhaps something to consider?).

[Meli Hitchcock]

^ That's exactly what I do with my work now, inputting my contact and copyright info into the file information section. Only problem is someone can still edit that if they want. Wish there was a way to lock it out, like password protect the info section.

[Blue]

it breaks my heart to see a need for this, but it warms it knowing CA is looking out for us. Thanks Jason, with any luck this will be all we need to protect ourselves.

[Idiot Apathy]

Hurrah! Much impressed and much appreciated.

I found this today and saw potential;
http://tineye.com/faq

It's a reverse image search engine; but what is most interesting is it performs well in edited, altered and cropped images. It was interesting to see some original photo's pop up as I searched with edited ones. Sometimes with added text, others simple crops and at times even large scale edits.

Here for example is a study of Sargents; (Login Required, simple and seemingly harmless)
http://tineye.com/search/850e61795b2c64bf991a15556f52cbd2f588240d
It brought up not only the finished painting, but an amazon bookcover and even a worth1000 image manipulation.

It's perhaps not yet all it claims to be as the database though huge is still only a fraction of what would be necessary.
However the potential for protecting artists copyrighted work is I believe very clear. (Also it's just a damn cool tool regardless :D )