card images for blogging

I'm wondering if there is an obvious place to source card images for blogging? I do understand there are copyright issues, since I found the discussion here on the forum It seems it's okay to post images for personal card-of-the-day reflection type stuff, preferably with attribution for the artist/publisher. I'm only using the standard Rider-Waite, so that's easy.
So, given that it's okay to use images (and lots of people have been for a long time and don't seem to have been in trouble) is there a known place to source them?
(Yes, I can 'take' images from anywhere but if there is a more approved way of doing it I'd prefer that.)

Thanks.

I use the aquatic Tarot for the issue of copyright issues.

http://www.aquatictarot.de/deck/list.html

The deck is not published the creator "Andreas Schröter " can be reached here aquatictarot@atarot.de Just ask him if u can use them. You can download the whole deck to your pc.

It depends what deck(s) you want to use. Most US Games decks are shown in full at Tarot.com: http://www.tarot.com/tarot/decks/index.php

Lo Scarabeo, Llewellyn and AGMuller decks are harder to find. Unpublished or self-published decks are usually shown in full on the creator's website but you should probably contact them to make sure they're happy for you to use them.

Alternatively, scan in your own cards.

I think that technically any copying and posting of images is a breach of copyright but that there's a kind of fair use rule. If you're posting a card here and there, and you say which deck it's from and even provide a link to the publisher or creator or somewhere it can be bought, then I think very few people would object. After all, you are giving that deck some exposure to people who might then want to buy it as well.

Many people use a different deck every week for their daily readings blogs - that way you're never using more than 7 cards from any one deck.

There are certain variables with copyrighted material. "Fair use" generally refers to personal use and education which may extend to a limited group (students in a class). Commentary and news reporting are also included.

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

Unless the copyright holder sells the deck exclusively they are not apt to benefit from this sort of free publicity. Most entities do not have the resources to pursue enforcement. So it comes down to courtesy and morality.

Sure the big one begins with a capital "M" yet what are you really doing? You are not bootlegging them for sale. You are using them as a reference. So what? You could preclude the moral issue by being courteous and let them make the decision.

It wouldn't take much to ask and explain the limited use you plan. They might be against it. They might like the idea.

I think that asking the copyright holder for permission to post the image is the best policy. It's common courtesy, and keeps you legal, as well.

For what regards LS decks, permission is usually given to portray a limited number of cards (6) for each deck, when asked politely and without commercial purposes.

ric

Hi Allison 70, I would just upload the images you want to use to Photobucket or some other free image hosting service. So long as you only post a few cards and give proper credit you should be good.

I've had the same worries posting images on my blogs, and finally just stopped considering it. The time it takes to blog would be lengthened so much by needing to take time to get permissions. When I want to post, I want to post NOW.

I would love to see publishers offer some thumbnail or low resolution images to use freely, even larger watermarked ones if they want, without asking specific permission, so long as we link back or give credit the way NASA asks people to do with their astronomy picture of the day. That would be a cool tool for bloggers, and the low res or watermark should prevent image theft as well as improve sales. Hint hint! Free advertising, publishers.

I also would think that fair use requirements for digital images might be adjusted one of these days to include very low resolution image copies -- with credit given, of course.

I'm a writer, so I understand worrying about intellectual property, but I think we can also be overly protective.

Nevada

Nevada said:

I would love to see publishers offer some thumbnail or low resolution images to use freely, even larger watermarked ones if they want, without asking specific permission, so long as we link back or give credit the way NASA asks people to do with their astronomy picture of the day. That would be a cool tool for bloggers, and the low res or watermark should prevent image theft as well as improve sales. Hint hint! Free advertising, publishers.

I also would think that fair use requirements for digital images might be adjusted one of these days to include very low resolution image copies -- with credit given, of course.

Click to expand...

I think this is a really good idea. I don't think there are any bloggers out there who have any wish to infringe anyone's copyright but at the same time, we do want to show readers what we're talking about and tarot is a very visual medium.

On a related note, Llewellyn have recently issued pdfs of new decks (Enchanted Oracle and Mystic Dreamer) which show ALL the cards in the deck as lowres, watermarked images. I think this is a very sensible move by them - they are allowing potential buyers to see what they're getting, without jeopardising their copyright.

Anyway, I definitely like what you've suggested Nevada, and will consider using a lowres/watermarked image (maybe creating one myself) next time I want to post an image on my blog.

Feeling Guilty

In my MYSPACE photo section I put a lot of the Merlin Tarot. I am the number one RJ Stewart fan that I know (we could wrestle for the title if anyone is interested you can PM me) and I own almost all of his books and almost all of his CDs and etc.

I am also a member of two different yahoo groups for him (Inner Temple is a good one.....but you have to write a whole essay to get in so of course....I did)

Point is: if my having the images from his deck on my photos section (not on my actual page if that makes any difference) is infringing on his ownership of these images then I am taking them down immediately.

I read blogs with cards in them all the time and I usually just want to buy the deck after that......

But I wish someone like Umbrae or Kat....or Cirom, or Emily Carding, or Patrick Valenza, or Maya Britan or Kay Stopforth or Chris Butler or.......

I wish someone who really knows this issue from the inside would weigh in because I would hate to be using art in the wrong way.

I heard that Kat Black had some piracy problems with her deck...The Golden....and I don't know what was involved, but karma is real, and I want it on my side.