Monday, June 15, 2009

Google, Drawger, and the New York Times


I made this in January and encourage everyone to make an anti-google illo

If you all have not heard about it, many well known illustrators/designers, like Gary Taxali, Melinda Beck, and Brian Stauffer have gotten contacted by Google, to have their work posted on some new part of Google for free. It's another scheme for Google to take artist rights to use for their 1.4 billion dollar quarterly profit, along side with its support of the Orphan Works Bill.


You can read the New York Times article here.

4 comments:

Tim Durning said...

It's another in a long line of troubling instances for us in the arts. That a company of their size would look for handouts and favors is further evidence that the business world puts less and less import behind art, blurring the line between design and decoration. More troubling is that Google defends, and in a sense legitimized, their claim with a cache of artists who agreed to their offer (or lack there of).

Now, I'm not a staunch defender of "I must get paid for everytime I touch pencil to paper," because I understand we all are in different places with our careers and the same is true with businesses. But Google? I mean, have some respect for the efforts and accomplishments of these illustrators and don't insult them with the offer. /soapbox

And nice image Fish- communicates the feeling very well.

Eric Braddock said...

I think Tim put it pretty much to the point that I was thinking of. So I'm simply going to second this. The people at Google who decided to start this "offer" to artist probably see this as an "opportunity" (which is pathetic) and not for what it ultimately is doing to the business world for artists. It's extremely disheartening.

Agreed with the piece, it's a pretty sweet concept, man, very nice.

Kim Herbst said...

This story is pretty upsetting. Granted we are in a recession, majority of gigs that have been offered my way all claim they can't pay and will give me exposure (and the last two clients I gave rates to have up and refused to return any emails). But for something as massive as Google? Aiya...

Your piece is inspiring! Very awesome concept.

pw! said...

wow. a lot of important stuff we all need to be aware of. thank you for bringing this to attention Daniel. i would like to see more of this kind of discussion; it's a huge help

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