First off, thanks for your interest! This page describes how to get permission to use my art.

The basic idea is that you may use my non-commissioned images for certain things (see below). You don't have to ask but you DO have to have a clear copyright notice nearby and in the case of web uses, you have to link back. As before, all commissioned pieces are offlimits for any use whatsoever. Follow the easy 4 step process below. If you're still confused, please feel free to send me email. I -do- still like getting email and I -do- read it all. If you make something with my art and want to send me a link, by all means, please do. I have fun seeing what people do with my art. I won't be keeping a public page with the links though since that'd take too much upkeep and that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

Important Rule for Usage on the Web
Even if you get permission to display someone else's graphics, it's a naughty and bad thing to link directly to them (hotlinking). You're supposed to copy them to your own server. Otherwise, you're using the other person's bandwidth and that's bad because in this day and age, the other person is probably paying for that bandwidth. Which means you'd be stealing from that other person. You might think one or two images won't hurt, but when added up, it means real money. (Note that it's not bandwidth stealing to link to another person's web page.) So to make web pages that people can respect - you MUST put images on your own server.

Step 1) Which image(s) would you like to use?

If the image is in my Commissions Gallery, the answer unfortunately is no, you may not use it in any shape or form (unless of course you're the one who commissioned it in which case see contract for allowable uses.)

Tattoos:
Yes, you may get a tattoo of any non-commissioned piece.  Please do not leave the picture at the tattoo shop.  I don't like the idea my art being part of someone's shop "stock".  If you wish, please send me a jpg or gif of your tat when it's done.  I have given permission for a number of tattoos but have only seen a few.  I think it's cool to see my art as tattoos.

Free web sets:
Yes you may use any non-commissioned piece for your free or linkware websets. You must include a copyright notice with the set and link back to me.  Note this is a change from my previous policy but I think it's better.  You may not sell the set in any way shape or form, nor include the webset in any collections.

Decorating Personal websites:
Lake Applets on your site:
Yes.  You must have a copyright notice next to the image or prominently on the page and link back to here. Note this is a change from my previous policy but I think it's better.

Decorating Business websites or Personal websites which also sell stuff:
Maybe.  Please e-mail me.

Web Gallery of Fairies or web gallery of Meilin's-art:
Yes, limit 10 non-commissioned pieces.  You must have a copyright notice next to each image if they're on separate pages or once prominently on a page with multiple large-scale images.  Use your brain and do something reasonable.  You must also link to here.

Prints:
If you want to print yourself one (1) personal copy, go ahead.  Don't sell it/distribute it, etc.   Caution, the web versions will not print well at anything larger than about 3 inches high since there's not enough resolution.  If you must have a personal copy anyhow and are willing to put up with the lowres, more power to you.

No, I don't sell prints.  I'm lame.  I even have a good photo quality printer.  It's just too much hassle for me.  Unfortunately, I won't give you the full res image file for you to print for yourself either because that's equivalent to giving away the original.

Background for your personal computer:
Yes, you may take my images and put them on the background of your personal computer or your Mom's or something.  I even encourage it. :-)  Just don't go distributing them around.

Web "Dolls":
Other "Adoption" items such as trinket boxes:
Yes, with copyright notice nearby.  If you can't find a way to add a reasonable copyright notice, you may not use my pictures.  You may take the wings only if you wish though in many cases, it might not look good without a lot of work.  Good luck.

School project:
Yes.  Copyright notice is required in a prominent place.  Just use common sense and put the notice somewhere where people normally look for that sort of thing.  Hope you get an A+. :-)

CD collections of art:
No.  You may not distribute my art in any collection in any form.

Paintshop Pro "Tubes":
No, you may not distribute "tubes" of my stuff, not even if they're free.  This is equivalent to a method for redistributing my art. However, if you're doing masking for your personal use so you can make globes, banners, websets, or what-have-you more easily, that's fine. I don't care what art program you use in the privacy of your own home. ;-) Of course, the globes, banners, websets and what-not are subject to the normal non-commissioned and copyright notice/link rules.

Site Fights, Chatroom, E-mail Stationary
Yes.  Copyright notice required however.  If you can't find a reasonable way to add a copyright notice, you may not use my images.

Make your own version:
Sorry, but no.  You may not redraw, repaint, or redo my images in any media.  I don't want any sticky situations with copyrights.  Anyhow, you are much better off making your own pictures.  That way, if you spend time on something you like, it's -yours-.  A couple more important points:

• The copyright on my images includes the design of the wings.
• Freehand copying still is copying.  Although you could free-hand paint yourself something to look like one of my pictures, legally, you'd be infringing on my copyrights.

Figurines, Cross Stitch:
No, sorry.  This is similar to the "Make your own version" rules above.

Non-Profit MultiUserDungeons (MUD) &  Role-Playing Websites:
Yes, you may use my non-commissioned pieces for your character portrait, to illustrate your role-playing 'run', or similar non-profit RPG type website.  A copyright notice is required in a prominent place.  Just use common sense and put the notice somewhere where people normally look for that sort of thing.  If your MUD/rpg site does not include a way to display a copyright notice, you may not use my images.  This permission does NOT apply to a new roleplaying game system, module, etc you want to sell.

Anything else?
Please email me with your specific request.

Yes you may scale, crop, recolor, or flip my images.  Be warned that they may not look good scaled or cropped.  Also, if you resize them non-proportionally, they'll look odd or bad.  You may try to remove the backgrounds too if you want, but on some images it'll look pretty bad.  Good luck.

Important Note: Even if you manipulate the image, legally I still own the copyright.  If you do a lot of manipulation, I still own partial copyright.

I'm not picky about the text and as of Jan 2002, I'm still messing around with domain names.  Something that says "Copyright Meilin Wong" is sufficient.  Link to one of these two:

www.freondream.com
www.freondream.com/gallery/

The first is probably easiest though you may also link directly to my gallery if you wish. If I change my url again, I'll try to keep pointer pages for a few months at least.

There is now sometimes a small copyright notice embedded in my images.  If the instructions below give you permission to use a particular image, you must still have a text copyright notice in addition to the one embedded in the image.

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