Sean Powers

jacobvanloon:

Missing Ethic

Conceptually, there’s no mistaking these two images are identical. The first image, Escape, was created by Daniel Danger in 2011. Daniel is a self-employed freelance Illustrator known for his architectural and landscape-oriented motif. 

Pierce the Veil had approached Daniel Danger this spring, as they were coordinating the release of their newest album Collide With the Sky. With two weeks before a print deadline, the album was still in need of a full design and layout. The initial request was to license Escape for use on the album cover, and work with the band/label on a layout. Daniel was not available at the time or within the timeframe Pierce the Veil required, so no contract was ever made between the artist and the band, and no permissions were signed. 

Needless to say, when Daniel caught wind of the cover for Collide with the Sky, it was apparent that the band commissioned a different artist to essentially recreate a pre-existing image, refusing to entertain the possibility of another concept.

It’s not the first time something like this has happened to Daniel, and it’s not the first time a situation like this has occurred with intellectual property. We all know faceless corporations steal from artists, but something about a group of musicians stealing from a potential peer comes off as a more focused blight. 

I’ve never listened to Pierce the Veil, and their sound is irrelevant to the issue- Questions are raised:

-What repercussions can this have on a hard working artist who has connected with his audience based on the purveyance of a particular style and subject?  
-Pierce the Veil knowingly deceived another artist, most likely trying to create a name for themselves with an audience, into duplicating a pre-existing image because they couldn’t get what they wanted from the first guy. How do these people treat other creatives? 

This gesture bothers me as a freelancer myself. It’s a blatant form of disrespect, and it puts me off to know they didn’t care enough about any possible blowback to try and work with a different artist on a new concept. Does any part of their tunnel vision and arrogance come through in the way they write music? Maybe you can tell me.

If you also have an issue with the band/labels poor business practices, let them know:

 

Management: Michele Abreim - michele.j.abreim@gmail.com

Publicity: Jenny Reader - jenny@fearlessrecords.com

Label: Fearless Records - info@fearlessrecords.com

(Source: jacobvanloon)