Tattrust is a space which tattoo artists can come together and collaborate, and to have the space, share thoughts, share ideas, share dreams, and passions.
Isn’t that called a tattoo shop?
Tattoo parlours are only for the purpose of selling work, this is for the goal of achieving a change in the mindset of tattoo creatives, and the community broadly , not to sell work.
What makes this different from any other “space” or “collective”?
The factor that makes this space different from other “spaces” is there will be legal support, advice, and protection offered and provided to help tattoo artist to protect their copyright and intellectual property along with education.
The community element will generate and foster and develop an environment of respect and understanding of other tattoo creatives work.
It is hoped that this will create a new attitude in the tattoo artist community of respect for their own work, and appreciation of its value, and respect for others, which will flow into the wider space and become understood by all that tattoo artists work is not something “different” but that it deserves the same respect as fine art work and hand drawn output.
And its my hope that from one trusted safe space, more can grow, and a network of support spaces educating and informing tattoo artists of the importance and value of their work can develop, locally, nationwide, even beyond, as the change needs.
I want to change the way that emerging artist especially tattoo artist fear and risk their work being stolen and copied.
The reason I want to make this change is its benefit me as a tattoo artist beginning my journey and it can help other emerging creatives in tattooing and other fields, and any change which broaden the scope of the creative space can be good for all.
It is correct to say that there is a way for creatives to protect their work already
It is called Intellectual Property law or IP law or copyright.
(?)
With the exception of tribal tattoos based on an indigenous right or designs transferred to another party via assignment, IP rights in tattoo artwork will belong to the artist that created the tattoo, assuming it meets the requirements for artistic copyright
To tattooists, appropriation is mostly seen as a matter of ethics or manners rather than law
Recent lawsuits and events have shown that tattoo artists and companies can have intellectual property rights in tattoos worn by others, including both copyright and trademark rights.
Tattoo-related lawsuits are not uncommon. Just this year, a group of tattoo artists for several high-profile athletes, including Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, filed a copyright lawsuit against the creators of the popular NBA 2K video game franchise because tattoos they created appear in NBA 2K16. The case is still pending in a New York federal court.
After all, they didn’t choose the design in order to be a walking advertisement for the tattoo artist. The artist’s creativity and skill apart, that tattoo exists because of the individual’s taste and desire to be different or to commemorate someone or something, for example. Unsurprisingly, the canvas for that art may feel that they had something to do with making that design famous or, at least, that they had some involvement In its creation in collaboration with the tattooist.
First tattooing is only recently a industry with money in it and anything involving lawyers costs money
Second linked to the first the lack of money in the industry creates a “counterculture” attitude in artists and the idea of engaging a lawyer is for many too mainstream and so is rejected
And third there is a lack of knowledge that it is possible to protect, with artist thinking “the art is on someones body so its not mine anymore”
Lack of money is of course a real issue, but the second and third points are wrong
I want to change this attitude that emerging tattoo artists, and even some current ones unaware they can do it, and facilitate them being able to protect their work, and encourage younger artist to not be afraid to show their work
After looking more deeply in to the concept of protecting an artist work I learned about intellectual property law.
I realised that it is always possible for artist to protect their work if they have the resources to do so.
The problem therefore is giving young emerging artist access to a space of platform where they can show their work with it being protected
