Wow….
From: afryrear@creators.com
Subject: The Far Side copyright infringement
Date: June 5, 2006 8:37:15 PM GMT-04:00
To: grant@pepperguy.com
Reply-To: afryrear@creators.com
June 5, 2006
Mr. Grant Cummings
PO Box XXXX
Elmore, OH 43416-XXXX
Via E-mail: grant@pepperguy.com
Re: Notice of Infringement of The Far Side® Cartoon:
http://www.pepperguy.com/cummings/noseguns.jpg
Dear Mr. Cummings:
Creators Syndicate, an international newspaper syndicate, syndicates Gary Larson’s The Far Side cartoons to foreign newspapers. In addition we handle all reprint permissions requests for The Far Side following guidelines long established by Mr. Larson and his company FarWorks Inc. (copyright owner to all Far Side images). In short, we approve or disapprove requests to reproduce Mr. Larson’s cartoons, and carefully monitor the ways in which they appear.
We are writing on behalf of FarWorks, Inc. and Gary Larson about your posting of one Far Side cartoon on your website http://www.pepperguy.com/cummings/noseguns.jpg. While Mr. Larson is certainly flattered to know you are a fan of his work, we have to be concerned about any unauthorized use of The Far Side name and cartoons, especially when they appear online.
FarWorks has a serious problem with unauthorized uses of The Far Side worldwide. As a result, it does not allow online publication of works from The Far Side. No matter how insignificant a few uses may seem, it still amounts to making versions of the cartoons available in digital form for anyone to download, which makes it virtually impossible for Mr. Larson to control future uses, something that is very important to him.
Please read the letter from Mr. Larson below, and respect his wishes by removing the cartoon from your website. Many thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Andrea Fryrear
Permissions Department
Creators Syndicate
5777 W. Century Boulevard, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Ph: (310) 337-7003
Fax: (310) 337-7625
E-Mail: afryrear@creators.com
Enclosures: A note from Gary Larson
A note from Gary Larson
RE: Online Use of Far Side Cartoons
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I’m walking a fine line here.
On the one hand, I confess to finding it quite flattering that some of my fans have created web sites displaying and / or distributing my work on the Internet. And, on the other, I’m struggling to find the words that convincingly but sensitively persuade these Far Side enthusiasts to “cease and desist” before they have to read these words from some lawyer.
What impact this unauthorized use has had (and is having) in tangible terms is, naturally, of great concern to my publishers and therefore to me — but it’s not the focus of this letter. My effort here is to try and speak to the intangible impact, the emotional cost to me, personally, of seeing my work collected, digitized, and offered up in cyberspace beyond my control.
Years ago I was having lunch one day with the cartoonist Richard Guindon, and the subject came up how neither one of us ever solicited or accepted ideas from others. But, until Richard summed it up quite neatly, I never really understood my own aversions to doing this: “It’s like having someone else write in your diary,” he said. And how true that statement rang with me. In effect, we drew cartoons that we hoped would be entertaining or, at the very least, not boring; but regardless, they would always come from an intensely personal, and therefore original perspective.
To attempt to be “funny” is a very scary, risk-laden proposition. (Ask any stand-up comic who has ever “bombed “on stage.) But if there was ever an axiom to follow in this business, it would be this: be honest to yourself and — most important — respect your audience.
So, in a nutshell (probably an unfortunate choice of words for me), I only ask that this respect be returned, and the way for anyone to do that is to please, please refrain from putting The Far Side out on the Internet. These cartoons are my “children,” of sorts, and like a parent, I’m concerned about where they go at night without telling me. And, seeing them at someone’s web site is like getting the call at 2:00 a.m. that goes, “Uh, Dad, you’re not going to like this much, but guess where I am.
I hope my explanation helps you to understand the importance this has for me, personally, and why I’m making this request.
Please send my “kids” home. I’ll be eternally grateful.
Most respectfully,
Gary Larson
8 comments June 05 2006 7:51 pm | Pepperguy | Grant
I had to dig myself to find the actual link to this image…. sheesh…
Well, gee, Gary, if these cartoons are like your “children”, I’d think you’d want to be a proud papa and show everyone.
Such a shame. I say you strike a deal…”cease and desist” if they’ll cut the price of the “Complete Far Side” set’s price by 75%.
The price’s price of the price. It’s like redundancy all over again.
I love how you critique your own comment. 😉
Interesting. So are you going to take it down?
Use of my form letter on your website without my consent is like stealing my dog. Please cease and desist. My form letters are like my step-children. Ugly, awkward and mostly useless. Please stop hating on me.
Oh, and buy my books!
Love,
Gary (and his children)
[…] Gefunden bei Pepperguy (stellvertretend für sehr viele andere, die Far Side Cartoons auf ihren Webseiten hatten) […]
[…] German blog mentions the whole Far Side deal from a couple months back… Kind of interesting that the German site RA-Blog just linked to my post regarding the Gary Larson Far Side cease and desist dealie from a couple months ago. *shrug* […]