You get an e-mail from a marketing agency representing a product you use on a regular basis. They “love your work,” so they want to “share” it along with other product “enthusiasts” on a new “social marketing” website they’ve developed. They offer you a credit and a link.

Sounds good, right? Free publicity from a company whose products you already use?

Wrong. Check out the draconian user agreement they’ve attached:

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Sorry, ______: I’ll still use your products, but I don’t sign the rights to my work and my face away without a big fat check. You want to feature my work on your blog? Ask for a Creative Commons commercial license, and then maybe we’ll talk. (See below)

Tiger Woods doesn’t endorse Nikes for free, so why should artists endorse art supplies for free?

Don’t let some corporation take advantage of you under the disguise of “social networking.”

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