Q –

Hello, Angela,

I cut and pasted characters I found on the Internet, edited them in my graphics program, and want to use them in my new book. I realized later that maybe I was not supposed to do that. I tried for find the original artists to ask permission but I could not. I didn’t save the links.

Can I hire an artist to re-draw the characters I created from those images I found on the Internet? I don’t want to get sued for copyright infringement.

A –

Copying/pasting from the Internet, and using those for your own benefit, is copyright infringement even if you alter the images.

Asking an artist to re-draw the images you created from copyrighted materials would then put that artist at risk of being sued for copyright infringement. And, you’d get sued, too, since you’d be using the images in your book.

You will need to start from scratch, and create completely original characters. Or, you will need to hire someone to do that for you.

Our recommended illustrators are here:
https://marketplace.writersweekly.com/illustrators

RELATED

• “I took images from the Internet and now I can’t remember the sources. Can you help me find them?”
• “A local artist died. Can I use his painting on my book’s cover?”
• My Relative Died. Can I Have Their Book Republished Elsewhere?
• Can You Republish Amazon Reviews? Maybe, or Maybe Not… 
• “Someone stole and republished my blog posts AND photos as her own! What can I do???”