This article about copyright has been causing some controversy over on WhipUp. Some of the comments got a little heated. The original poster is talking specifically about designer quilts but it's an issue that I think all artists need to consider.

At what point does inspiration or homage becoming derivative copying? How much can you really control your work once it's out in the public domain? Who owns ideas? How much copyright protection do you need or want? There are no easy answers to these questions and every artist needs to find their own peace with the issue but in an increasingly global and instant world, it's not an issue that artists can ignore.

Copyright is something artists have a responsibility to educate themselves about. Do you know what the laws are in your country? Do you understand how to protect yourself if your work is shown abroad? Do you want to protect yourself using traditional copyright laws or are you more interested in things like Creative Commons? Or are you and your art operating beyond copyright altogether?

I don't have any easy answers or advice for people on this one - I'm not even 100% sure what I think about the issue - but I wanted to flag it for discussion.