Business Advice Please

OhDear · 01-23-2008, 12:43 PM

I have been working on something for a while now. I mean, it was really something that I just started out doing for the sheer fun of it. The enjoyment of it. It is painting.

Well I have this friend who I met when I took a class at the vocational tech here. He was there for some other stuff and we met in the "commons". He is quite gifted with the camera though. So for fun, what he has done is gone out and taken pictures with his camera and then we use those as the basis for the enlarged pictures that I am doing in paint. Some in watercolors and some in acrylics.

Anyhow, there is a local coffee shop here and I took some of my artwork there to see if they would display it. And they did. Well I have had some offers made. Someone even wants to pay me $200 for one of my pieces.

The thing is that my friend thinks he ought to get some of the money too. That we should do this together. A business partnership, if you will.

But I figure I did the painting. He thinks that he has a right to some of the money. And that if I would go ahead and give him some of the credit, that we could be quite successful as a team. I figure I don't need him now though. I mean nothing against him. He DID inspire me at first. But I can come up with my own ideas how to paint, what to paint now.

What do you all think? Do you feel I should be obligated to split the money with him for the paintings I already made? And I did make them in my own home. Not his. Not even at the school. Should I obligate myself to a business with him? I don't know if he is joking but he says he doesn't want to do this, sue me, but that he does feel that strongly about how much he "thinks" he contributed to my work.

Oh Bother!!!

OhDear

highway80west · 01-23-2008, 01:26 PM

Do you have an attorney friend that you can consult with about this, Oh Dear? I wish I can tell you how I would go about this, but I know that others would tell you differently.

CrazyFlamingos · 01-23-2008, 01:29 PM

My feeling is that, if a painting you sell is based on one of his photos, then giving him a cut is the right thing to do.

Though I don't think he deserves 50%. Maybe it is just me but I think that, by doing the actual painting, you have put in the bulk of the effort and should reap the bulk of the reward.

Otherwise, no. You don't really owe him anything.

As to future dealings, that is an entirely different matter. If you are not relying on him for images to paint then a simple, "Thank you for the inspiration," is all that he is owed for future endeavors.

OhDear · 01-23-2008, 03:23 PM

Gosh Darn It All !!!

I cannot do this. I am soooo sorry everybody that even read this, even if you were not ever going to comment.

I made the whole thing up. And ever since I logged out and did some chores, I felt guilty. Please forgive me, especially CF and H80.

You see, I wanted to show that it is a natural response to believe that even if someone has a small part in the making of something, I mean, even like if my make-believe friend would have bought me a couple paint brushes or even made just one stroke on the canvas, everyone would have said he had a right to some of the money.

I don't know how this really speaks to any of y'all but to me it is a picture that the birth father, no matter how small a part it seems he plays in the development of the baby, has some rights. And that in the case of an abortion, it is wrong to disregard his input if you will the same way it would have been wrong if I had been in the situation I "painted" not to give some rights to the man who provided the pictures, if you will.

But now even if I was trying to make a point, I feel badly for not being upfront as usual. And I am very sorry too cos I would not want anyone to really think that I would not be willing to share in the good fortune that would come from such a venture as I wrote about.

And truth is, I cannot paint really at all.

Again I am sorry. Maybe I should just ban myself and instead of being Super Sage I should be the "Big Yarn Spinner"...

OhDear

CrazyFlamingos · 01-23-2008, 03:36 PM

Your analogy was pointless anyway. Because the guy in your scenario really has no legal rights (so far as my understanding of the law) and no one here has argued that the father should not be consulted, just that there should be no legal constraints that require it.

highway80west · 01-23-2008, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhDear

Gosh Darn It All !!!

I cannot do this. I am soooo sorry everybody that even read this, even if you were not ever going to comment.

I made the whole thing up. And ever since I logged out and did some chores, I felt guilty. Please forgive me, especially CF and H80.

You see, I wanted to show that it is a natural response to believe that even if someone has a small part in the making of something, I mean, even like if my make-believe friend would have bought me a couple paint brushes or even made just one stroke on the canvas, everyone would have said he had a right to some of the money.

I don't know how this really speaks to any of y'all but to me it is a picture that the birth father, no matter how small a part it seems he plays in the development of the baby, has some rights. And that in the case of an abortion, it is wrong to disregard his input if you will the same way it would have been wrong if I had been in the situation I "painted" not to give some rights to the man who provided the pictures, if you will.

But now even if I was trying to make a point, I feel badly for not being upfront as usual. And I am very sorry too cos I would not want anyone to really think that I would not be willing to share in the good fortune that would come from such a venture as I wrote about.

And truth is, I cannot paint really at all.

Again I am sorry. Maybe I should just ban myself and instead of being Super Sage I should be the "Big Yarn Spinner"...

OhDear

If Ali had seen this confession of yours, you better be prepared for a bad spanking by her. LOL

At least it gives you an idea about things, OhDear.

I can't paint either, except by numbers.

garysher · 01-23-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhDear

Gosh Darn It All !!!

And truth is, I cannot paint really at all.

Again I am sorry. Maybe I should just ban myself and instead of being Super Sage I should be the "Big Yarn Spinner"...

OhDear

Shame on you Bonnie - how can I ever trust you again!!

OhDear · 01-23-2008, 05:33 PM

Gee Whiz, Gary...you trusted me before?

OhDear

OhDear · 01-23-2008, 05:35 PM

I am going to give myself a time-out from discussing abortion.

OhDear

OhDear · 01-23-2008, 05:59 PM

P.S. I shared this that I have done with my family here.

And it was very aptly pointed out to me, to be consistent as analogy...I had the canvas, he had the paints. And together we made the picture. ON MY CANVAS!!!

So who has the rights to the picture?

But I don't want to discuss it any futher.

OhDear