Re: Use of paleoart in scientific publications.

[GSP1954@aol.com]

Let's be clear about something. If someone wants to directly use an image 
from a technical paper in their own technical paper then professional 
courtesy alone says first contact the person who owns the rights. That many may 
not 
object that others use their illustrations for such purposes in subsequent 
papers does not means it is OK to assume that the image owner does not 
object. You might be wrong. If the image owner is fine with others using their 
image without permission (perhaps because they derive institutional income and 
don't care about income from their illustrations) is their business, that 
others are not fine with this (perhaps because they are self funded) is 
egually legit. The situation gets more complicated when using original images 
to 
produce derivative illustrations for a new technical publication. Perhaps 
some criteria can be discussed and set up on a paleoart website. Or maybe 
there are already some rules detailed somewhere. 

A basic point I am trying to get across is that scientists who have access 
to grants should in the future be more alert to seeing that part of the 
grant funds can be used to acquire illustrations for the paper, including 
previously published images they wish to include. And while on the subject, 
there 
is more advice about requesting to use someones art for a technical paper 
when such money is available. 

Say you do have some money to pay for images for your upcoming paper. Don't 
detail to the artist the images you are requesting and only tell her or him 
you have some nonspecific money (especially don't say you don't have much 
money without saying exactly how little, that just makes us artists groan). 
It can be awkward if when the artists replies with a cost estimate it turns 
out you don't have sufficient funds. Instead, tell the artist in the initial 
contact what you can offer for what are are requesting. Say you have a 
certain amount of money on hand that you can  and want a specific number of 
skeletal restorations. Then the artist can respond as they feel appropriate. 
This 
process would be made much easier if a standard pricing list were available 
at a paleoart site. The site can also include a helpful section advising 
scientists on how to approach artists for images. 

G Paul</HTML>