LO4: Legal and Ethical

When creating my graphic design package, I will have to follow both legal and ethical laws so that they are suitable to be seen by an audience.

The first legal law I will have to follow is Copyright, this is allows a person to protect their intellectual property. Intellectual property is someones own creation, such as music, photos and videos etc. To use this intellectual property, I will need to get permissions from the creator to use it, in the case of my graphic designs this will only be photographs, images and logos from companies. I will have to contact them through E-Mail, or meet with them in person to sort out an agreement to use them. Some of the photographs I will use will be of my own creation but may feature models. This means I will have to have them sign a model release form, which allows me to use them in photographs and my graphic design pieces.

ASA, also known as Advertising Standard Authority, is an independent regulator based in the UK. They cover adverts such as: magazine and newspaper ads, Radio and TV Commercials (Not sponsorships), TV Shopping channels, Internet ads (Banner ads, search engine ads and social networking site ads), e-mail ads, posters, leaflets, cinema ads, Mail ads, DVD and video ads and sales promotions. For my graphic design package to be published and distributed, it needs to adhere to the rules of the ASA and it's non-broadcast code, also known as the 'CAP Code'. I have to make sure that my graphic design products does not mislead any of the audience, as mine is only advertising the film, it will only contain information about the films release and will not have any false details. My products will adhere to the harm and offence rule as it will not contain materials that would cause harm or offence to the audiences, this means it will not use any shock factors, photosensitive epilepsy or unsafe practices. My products will not be aimed towards an audience of children, but if children so happen to see the products, it will still adhere to the code as it asks not to use any unfair pressure or show unsafe practices to them, my content does not feature any of the sort.

The obscene publication act covers the negative influences of something that could be in the advert, on the audience, meaning it's apart of the ethical laws. This means it can't show nudity, bad language, violence, drug use and alcohol in the products which it does not.