Copyright issues are very difficult. And they also vary from country to country! There is a lot of info available on the web, but when push comes to shove, you either have to consult a professional, or convince yourself that you are right.

It''s easy enough if your works are different enough (i.e. the original is Harry Potter and you created a pyramid with three arms and one eye) - then you don''t need a lawyer.

However, as you get closer to the original, the question becomes more difficult.

From your description I would suspect you have nothing to worry about, but of course I can not guarantee it (lawyers can''t even guarantee it). Even with the advice from a lawyer all you can do is proceed (or not) and hope they won''t sue you.

Even if you are right doesn''t mean they won''t. They might have a lawyer who disagrees with yours and recommends them they should sue. Then it''s up to the judge to decide...

Hope I didn''t scare you. It''s not as bad as it might look. Just read up enough info on the matter, and then make up your mind or consult a lawyer for more details...

I recently read on another forum that it is illegal in the US to use the © symbol on a site\ product without registering it first, costing about $60. The same posts stated that you can freely do so without registration in Austrailia. This leaves me wondering how such a law is governed in a system like the internet. Do you use the copyright laws of the country the file is written in or the country it is hosted in? Or is there seperate international legislation, and if so, what is it?

If at first you don''t succeed, call it version 1.0

SketchSoft | SketchNews

Please, it''s just doodle... bloody taken username =P

Just to add fuel to the fire, it''s easy enough to claim that your image is derivative enough not to infringe upon the Harry Potter likeness - which I''d be amazed if it isn''t copyrighted, btw.

However, if your painting has a boy with black-rimmed glasses and a lightning-bolt scar across his forehead playing a Quidditch match, or riding whatever model of broom he''s using these days with a Gryffindor flag in the background, then yes - you have infringed, damn your soul to hell and all that jazz.

There is a difference between Potter-inspired work and an "original" scene using copyrighted images. Even if you ditched the Harry Potter character, if you have a Snitch (? been a while) being chased by a broomstick-riding teenager in green robes...you''re on shaky ground, my friend.

You can create the works, but your real problem is selling them. Fan fiction/art abounds, as long as it''s not being sold as "original" work.

Tread lightly.