Obtaining Digital Assets

So if you have followed along, you will have designed your XCRUD application to work within the secure structure of WordPress – with public pages visible and admin pages, also pages containing sensitive data, safely tucked away from prying eyes and bots.

You will have installed a WordPress theme which plays nicely with XCRUD and you are ready to head over to Google images to get some free pictorial enhancements, followed by your favourite Youtube ripping site to download some free videos and your favourite Soundcloud ripping site to download some free sound and music.

Cultural Ignorance

I think it is a cultural thing, as despite site copyright notices and paragraphs threatening legal action, for theft of digital assets in the terms of use which it is not second nature for the average browser to read – many amongst us do not even realise it is illegal.

Waiting for the digital – knock on the door

If you have a google – you will find many legal action discussions and situations being described with illegality being challenged. What I have picked up from this – is that generally speaking if digital content has been lifted either intentionally or by accident, the first stage will be a request or demand to remove or take down the content or assets in question. I have not come across an example where, the purported digital thief is prosecuted without warning. So right or wrong – many could form the opinion that until warned, anything goes.

Licensing of Digital Assets

If someone came to me and asked if they could use a screenshot of my website in their product marketing campaign, I would attempt to get an understanding of the value to them and negotiate a price for effectively licensing its use. The higher the intrinsic value to them the higher the value of the licensing deal. If the Alzheimers society asked if they could do the same I would probably provide the original free of charge, maybe requesting a note of recognition somewhere.

If I found that a picture from my Tomato growing blog website showing off my conservatory hydroponics is being used on someone else’s website for commercial gain, I would contact the owner and ask for a payment as a license fee. In the absence of co-operation I would ask for a payment or please take it down. Progressing to – coining the phrase from the Demolition Man – Please take it down now, or else.

Making your own digital assets – for FREE

In a modern world – most phone cameras take very high quality pictures and with some free apps to implement effects and tart things up, you will have an arsenal of digital assets already available on your phone. For example – if you are a blogger – whilst you are out and about embracing your blog’s topical theme you can be thinking about the photo’s you need to enhance your digital arsenal and do some extra snapping.

Making your own digital assets is a sure way to avoid the digital knock on the door and the avoid the additional time spent patching up the holes left by demands for content to be taken down at short notice. Generally speaking this mirrors my approach as screenshots and photo’s of my own assets and experiences more than meet my needs.

However, to some this may feel a bit like using recycled paper, or if you have many sites, your digital arsenal may not be sufficiently diverse. I thought it would be good if rather than striking up licensing deals on an asset by asset basis – someone created an equivalent to Spotify for digital assets. All you can eat for a small, regular subscription.

Whilst I was researching the Kleo Theme I found a section of the Envato site called Envato Elements. I have pasted a screenshot below click and have a look. It ticks a few boxes – small monthly fee for unlimited, 30% reduction for students and a free version of the account where 15 free assets are added every month.

It even has WordPress page templates for things like Buddypress. Bootstrap tables and free is free so has got to be worth a look.