Jumping Toaster Productions

Copyright Policy

Jumping Toaster Productions respects the rights of all artists & creative people worldwide and we expect our members to demonstrate an equal amount of respect and assist us in creating a positive atmosphere for all visitors/members.

In this FAQ Page we will attempt to eliminate some of the confusion and myths surrounding copyright. Understand that the following page is provided for informational purposes only and is intended to be used as a guide. This page should NOT be construed as rendering legal or other professional advice. If you require legal advice, you should seek the services of a qualified attorney.

What is Copyright Infringement?

Copyright infringement occurs when you claim a creative work as your own, which someone else produced without first getting the proper/required permission to do so.

Some examples of copyright infringement are:

• Placing a photograph or creative work online without proper permission.
• Using a creative work commercially.
• Adapting a creative work of one medium to another, such as making a book into a movie or a photograph into a painting.
• Modifying or editing a creative work without proper permission.

How Can I Avoid Infringing on Someone’s Copyright?

The best way to avoid infringing on the rights of another creative person is to use your skill, talent and imagination to create your own completely original work. When we use the word ‘original’ we don’t mean that you must come up with an idea which hasn’t been used before, when used in copyright matters ‘original’ means that you created your work without referencing or deliberately copying anyone else’s work during the process.

Ensure that all parts of your work, both visual and audio, are your own original creations. If you have used materials which are owned by other people or companies make certain that you have obtained proper permission or licensing for the use before you place your work online.

What Sort of Things are Copyrighted?

The easy answer to this question is that just about any creative work you might find should be considered to be copyrighted by default.

A work is not required to have a copyright statement printed on it or near it in order to be considered copyrighted so do not assume that the work is unprotected simply because you cannot see a notice written anywhere. Also do not confuse the fact that a work is publicly available with the idea that it is public domain or free for use. Being easy to find on the internet does not affect a work’s copyrighted status.

Some Cautions

• In most cases it does not matter how much of the material you have used. Whether it’s a single frame, a few moments of audio, a short clip of video or any other sampling it’s still considered to be copyrighted and you still require the owner’s permission for use.
• It doesn’t matter how you obtained the material, it’s still considered copyrighted and you still need permission.
• It doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve credited the proper owner, it’s still considered copyrighted and you still need permission.
• It doesn’t matter if you are not selling it or making a profit, it’s still considered copyrighted and you still need permission.
• It doesn’t matter if you can find other people using things without permission, it’s still considered copyrighted and you still need permission.
• It doesn’t matter if you’ve edited it a little bit or made a few alterations, if it’s recognizable it’s still considered copyrighted and you still need permission.

What about “Fair Use”?

“Fair Use” is the notion that some public and private uses of copyrighted works should not require the permission of a copyright owner. These circumstances are very limited, complex to analyze under the law and require the help of expert advice from a lawyer. We recommend you talk to your own lawyer if you want to know more about fair use as it applies to the work you are doing. If it turns out that it isn’t fair use, you may be liable for very serious money damages.

Prohibited Commentary

Prohibited commentary is typically considered to be inherently disrespectful, aggressive, or otherwise abusive.

We insist that you refrain from comments which are racist, bigoted, or which otherwise offensively target a philosophy or religion. In addition we ask that our members avoid making offensive remarks based on gender or sexual preference and that you do not make any remark, comment or critique which is intended to be a direct insult to an individual, group, or genre of artwork. Hate propaganda is met with zero tolerance. Comments which are overly aggressive, personally insulting or needlessly abusive are also prohibited.

If you feel that you have been the target of harassment, personal insults or other severe behaviour please notify the Jumping Toaster Productions Helpdesk.

Discouraged Commentary

Discouraged commentary is typically considered to have the potential to escalate into an aggressive or abusive situation.

While not strictly prohibited we insist that all personal arguments, disagreements and other volatile “personal” issues within be confined to private communications such as; emails or Instant Messaging programs. Likewise we discourage public accusations and other similar situations; please bring all issues of this nature to Jumping Toaster Productions Helpdesk.

Exploitive Commentary

Exploitive commentary is typically considered to be disruptive due to unusual or unique factors.

Do not ‘spam’ (send large numbers of identical notes or comments). Spamming is obnoxious and is typically used for self-promotion, or other unwanted advertising.

Do not ‘flood’ (placing a large number of comments rapidly on a single page or craft a single comment which consumes a large amount of page space) the system, user pages or other areas of the site. Flooding usually disrupts page loading times and serves no useful purpose.

Mature Content

When we discuss mature content we are specifically referring to postings which contain images, subject matter, or other themes which some viewers may find offensive, distasteful, or otherwise undesirable to view or to read. The most common ‘undesired’ viewing material may include, but is not limited to, images containing artistic nudity (see details below), large amounts of simulated blood and gore, or generally violent themes.

Jumping Toaster Productions strictly prohibits the submission of materials classified as pornographic or obscene. There is no exception to this prohibition.

Certain content may be deemed obscene by the administration and as such Jumping Toaster Productions reserves the right to remove such content immediately upon discovery. The administration reserves the sole right to review and classify questionable material as obscene or not obscene.

‘Gravatar’/Avatars

This section applies only to avatars which you personally use for your account; avatars submitted into Jumping Toaster Productions must still conform to all official policies without exception but are not subjected to the restrictions below. Avatars used to represent your account on site are granted more leniency than standard site submissions.

You may freely use material and resources with only the restrictions outlined as follows:

• Your avatar should not contain nudity of any sort.
• You may not use avatars specifically created by other users without their explicit permission.
• If your avatar contains a portion of a work made by another artist it will be removed by staff at the request of the original artist.
• In all other respects your avatar must conform to the guidelines set above in regards to hate propaganda.

Exploits, Vulnerabilities, and Site Abuse

The Jumping Toaster Productions will not tolerate attempts to exploit or disrupt the layout, navigability, or general use of the site. Such actions disrupt the ability of the community to access and review artwork and are considered Site Abuse. We will issue no warnings for violations of this nature. Violators will be banned immediately upon the discovery of the disruption or abuse.

Changes in Etiquette Policy

As new situations come to our attention we may find it necessary to alter or expand upon the policies stated here with little or no notification and any such changes may be enforced in full against previously existing submissions or behaviour.

Alterations of policy may be announced through either the Jumping Toaster Productions Helpdesk or through other announcements.