So when is it ok to copy? #2.

This subject has certainly has certainly created a lot of questions for some and I have received mail to ask if this is ok or is that ok. I usually work from the idea, that if you have to ask because you are concerned about what you are doing, then best not to do it.
A lot of people look for a second opinion and there is none. If you have copied something, no matter if you have changed the colours and faces it is still a copy and you are stealing another Artists image, unless of course you have written permission to do so. Also if you have written permission to do it once and you want to do something else with the image you will need to get permission again.
I am still not sure why Artists copy, laziness, boredom or lack of imagination and creativity or just plain old fear of painting a bad painting. I think it is the latter mostly, you know the painting you going to copy is good so it you do a good copy and people congratulate you then you must be a good Artist? No just a good copier.
This happened to me, I was as to guest curator for an exhibition of wild life paintings, it was a one person show and they were looking to build a career as a wild life painter, especially of birds. The exhibition was quite big and a lot of paintings. I looked at the paintings and they were good, some great action paintings of birds and a lot of rare birds. I was looking through them all and a friend of the Artist came in and I asked where did the Artist go to get these great poses? Did she take photos or draw in the wild, how did she start?
The friend said, “Oh no the Artist copies them off calendars and books by a certain photographer.?
I was stunned and then I asked did the Artist have permission from the photographer?
I knew this particular photographer as he was quite popular and also had a reputation to litigate if people stole his images.
Later that day I saw the artist and asked them about the paintings how they painted them and they said that they had copied them from the photos of this particular photographer.
I was honestly shocked, I explained copyright to them and they said, “But, I painted them, I might have copied them but it is my work now. They are my paintings.”
I explained that it wasn't your work, the image belonged to the photographer and that this photographer, if he finds out he will sue. The Artist was not fazed and said as far as they were concerned it was their work and that they would show it and sell it.
I excused myself from the exhibition and explained why, because they were breaking the law and stealing..
The show went forward, I did not attend and I was told there were no sales.
Artists, you cannot take someone else’s images and use them as your own, that is stealing.
I know so many people do it and get away with it, but that does not make it right.
A copy is a copy and will always be a copy, by a person who copies.