It probably is, but I'm technically using someone else's art right now. I'm only using it because I got it from Google searching Nick Wilde.

If you give the artist credit at least, it's not bad really. Just so long as you don't credit it as your own, I don't see a problem.

If someone used my art as their icon I'd feel happy.
Just as long as they're not claiming my art as their own, then I don't see a problem.

^ Im not sure who made my icon, but I also never claim it as mine. So I guess im good.

Speaking of my icon, I love the art. Whoever did this did a great job.

I've never considered it as something to be shunned about tbh.
While it would be preferable to get the artist's permission, sometimes locating and contacting the creator is outside reach or the origins of them isn't clear. As the others have already said, as long as you don't claim it as your own then that's good enough.

^My stance

Ages ago- Like nearly a decade ago- I saw someone using a stupid Shugo Chara picture I'd made as an icon, and I was really really happy that someone liked this stupid picture I made on GIMP enough to make it their icon.

I can see why someone would have a problem with it though. But I think so long as you don't claim it and/or give the artist credit than everything is fine.

I do it a lot, actually.

As long as you give credits to the creator and don't claimed it as your own, I don't see the problem in it.

In my opinion, using others hard work without their permission isn't right and isn't legal for good reason. It's more or less breaking copyright law, and artists do want to know if you're publicly sharing their art. Because unlike using a frame or two from a show, it is their entire work, that they need to get paid for. If it's something they are doing in their free time they probably won't mind(still want to check though). Otherwise, get their permission even if it's for a profile picture.

Think about it this way(it helped me understand when I heard it was illegal), what do pirate sites for shows and movies do? They take a work for free, without the owner's permission(who probably worked on it for years) and publicly upload. Does that sound familiar to you? It should, it's basically what you're doing when you use fan art as your profile. The only difference is most people who do it are never called out or even know the side effects of what they're doing.

And no, despite what people say artists don't like you taking their work without permission, even if you give credit:
xunary.deviantart.com/journal/A-little-ra­nt-­abo­ut-­Art­-Th­eft­-59­681­461­9

^That stance makes zero sense. And fanart is not under copyright law the same as the original creator of the IP because they are using another person's copyright IP to make fanart and guess what based on what you just said you shouldn't make fanart because you didn't get the creator of the IP's permission. Legitimately think about what you're saying and what it applies too. It might be out of poor etiquette but it is DEFINITELY not illegal by copyright to use someones fanart as an icon without permission.

And you cannot compare pirate sites to what you're saying. Nothing you just said made any sense.

Some people don't want their fanarts posted to image dump sites. Fair enough they can ask for the media to be taken down It's mostly out of etiquette unless the freaking original guy of the IP has it copyrighted to not do that and no one tells you legitimately not to make fanarts. So therefore that way of thinking is flawed.

^Actaually, no, Fanart is taking ideas or characters and using them to make your own original art. Not only is fanart using a limited piece of work, it's also remaking it. Which is a lot different from just taking art and reposting it somewhere else.Also, no, it isn't legal to use some else's fanart as your icon.(link).

I thought it made plenty of sense. Basically, taking someone else's hard work without their permission and posting it somewhere else is illegal. When you think about it, that's what is being done when you upload a profile picture using fanart. As the fanart is someone's hard work, and you publicly upload it onto your profile picture.

The article itself and comments did address our "Are you allowed to upload fanart without permission from the artists" problem.

Someone I know is using an edit of mine, it makes me happy really. And while he/she asked for permission in this case, I agree with most people here; It's not a problem unless you're trying to claim it as your own, and like others have said, it's not always possible to get in contact with the owner, or even know who it is.

@Peaceful is that source accreditable? Is that person a lawmaker? A lawyer? Did they not say there's multitude of nuances in copyright law and that it's very complex. You realized that guy didn't say anything about fanart but original works and he touches basis mostly on original art/original Ips/original material. The laws for those are much different than fanart. Because they assume you actually have the rights to whatever you create. There was a guy on deviantart who made Capcom wallpapers and they got too popular. Capcom for some reason decided to ask deviantart to remove his fanart. He created the artwork right? That does NOT mean in any form that the entirety of the picture is his own aside from his art. Thus does not make any sense at all for a fanart discussion. The only thing in that artwork that you have a right to is the art not what it is based off of. Thus there is no way to claim fanart is legal in any stretch of the imagination unless the copyright owners want you to make it. If people have given fanartists cease and desist orders how does that make the fanartist in the right? It doesn't.

link

link

Fanart DOES not constitute as an original work of art.

I mean I don't feel comfortable using fanart without permission. But if you do, at least give credit. I used to do it when I was 13 but someone got really mad, never did it again.

Though I'm not gonna bash someone who does.

@BlindBandit link
He's credible, trust me. One of the people you link to was a DeviantART owner and professor(in the video he admits his views on it isn't professional, it's just his views 12:38). That being said, he does sound like he knows a lot about it and admits to having experience with it, so he's also a credible source. I can also agree with what he says.(I didn't care to check out the other, as I felt the first was enough to prove your point.)

True Curtis didn't say anything about fanart, but he did say something about contributing works(I didn't use that source to prove to you that Fanart is legal).And by basic copyright law, it isn't legal to distribute works without the owner's permission.Which yes, extends to Fanart, not to as much as an extent, since most people agree that the way it is used or made is important so it varies. You may have a fanart playfully making fun of the work, or another in where the art style is so different the characters are almost unrecognizable and one that pretty much looks like the show.You're right I shouldn't have said "fanart is legal", as the first is legal, the second might be legal, and the third definitely isn't legal if you didn't get permission.

With all of the technically "depends" legal stuff, out of the way. I personally don't see a problem with most fanart as they don't take money out of the pockets of the owner(most of the time). However, even if the fanart isn't legal, I don't feel like that it gives someone the right to publicly upload it and that's still illegal.

^If you don't care to look at it. I don't care to read your paragraph. Seeya.