/// FAQ
Does it cost to submit an idea?
Am I paid to submit an idea?
What happens if I don't want to sell my idea after it has been published?
Who does the money from the sale of my idea go to?
What kind of price should I put on my idea?
Are all ideas submitted published?
Who owns copyright of my Idea once I submit it?
Am I acknowledged for my idea?
What rights to I have if somebody uses my idea without paying for it?
Do I receive royalties on the sale of the Ideas Catalogue?
If I buy a catalogue does that give me the right to carry out the ideas?
What do I receive when I purchase an idea?
Once I buy an idea, can I use it in any way I like?
Do I have to provide proof that I have carried out the idea?
Why is Issue One so much more expensive than Issue Two?
Does it cost to submit an idea?
No, contributing to the catalogue is free.
Am I paid to submit an idea?
You will receive payment on the sale of your idea. You do not receive a fee from the Ideas Catalogue for submitting an idea.
What happens if I don't want to sell my idea after it has been published?
When somebody wants to buy your idea, you will be contacted and you will have the option of revoking the sale of your idea.
Who does the money from the sale of my idea go to?
The Ideas Catalogue operates in some ways like a commercial gallery. You will receive payment for the sale of your idea, and the Ideas Catalogue receives 40% commission on its sale. You should factor in this 40% when indicating the price of your idea.
What kind of price should I put on my idea?
Ideas generally range from $AUD4 to $AUD50,000. You should consider the value of your idea in terms of its difficulty, popularity, inventiveness, your personal attachment to the idea and how much you have already developed the idea (for example, you may have sketches or written material that can be included in the Idea Package). You should also consider the type of audience that you want to purchase your idea. If you are interested in other artists purchasing and interpreting your idea, you should allow for the budget of artists, not collectors. Do not include the cost of producing the idea - the "Estimated Budget" section is reserved for this.
Are all ideas submitted published?
Not all ideas submitted will be published. Some ideas may only be published in either the printed catalogue or online. It is to the discretion of the Ideas Catalogue team to decide which ideas are published. However, if we feel that your idea can be altered in some way in order to make it publishable, we will consult you and discuss the possibilities.
Who owns copyright of my Idea once I submit it?
When you submit an idea you grant the Ideas Catalogue, for the full term of the copyright, the non-exclusive right to print, publish and sell the written form of the idea in volume, electronic or other form, in any language, and to license others to do so. As this is a non-exclusive license, you retain the right to use the written form of the idea as well as the documents pertaining to the sale of the idea, even after the sale. However, further licences apart from that of the publisher (the Ideas Catalogue) and the author (you) can only be granted by sale through the Ideas Catalogue.
Am I acknowledged for my idea?
Your name will always accompany your idea when the Ideas Catalogue uses it in written or spoken form. If you wish to be acknowledged by the purchaser of your idea you must stipulate this in the Restrictions/Criteria section of your submission. Otherwise, the purchaser is under no obligation to acknowledge you or the Ideas Catalogue.
What rights to I have if somebody uses my idea without paying for it?
You have ownership of the written idea through copyright laws, and authorship of the concept through the Ideas Catalogue system, but it is largely the respect that this society holds for commercial systems that protects these products from being "stolen". (Most shoppers would not steal shoes displayed on the stalls out the front of the shoe shop out of respect of the commercial systems of ownership, even though it is relatively easy.) As with any artwork, the content and concept of the idea cannot be legally protected. The Ideas Catalogue accepts no responsibility for the unauthorised use of ideas.
Do I receive royalties on the sale of the Ideas Catalogue?
In short, no. The Ideas Catalogue is a one-person project, a labour of love established with a genuine desire to provoke discussion about conceptual art, intellectual property, social and commercial transactions and interactions. It is simultaneously an artwork in itself and a commercial product. Issue One was an edition of ten sold at $AUD500 each, and comprised solely ideas from its founding editor Gabrielle de Vietri. With idea contributions from over 40 people, Issue Two is being printed as an edition of 200 and will be sold for $AUD40 each. The costs of the project, including designing, printing, editing, binding, publicity, etc. are all paid by the founding editor and will not be covered by catalogue sales. Depending on the success of Issue Two and beyond, we hope to be able to assign royalties to contributors one day.
If I buy a catalogue does that give me the right to carry out the ideas?
No, buying the Ideas Catalogue does not give you the right to carry out in any way the ideas held within it. You must purchase the ideas separately.
What do I receive when I purchase an idea?
When you purchase an idea you will receive an Official Entitlement Certificate, a framed copy of the idea and a package detailing your rights as the purchaser of the idea. You will also be registered in the Ideas Catalogue Database as either the Owner or the Licensee of the idea, depending on the terms of the particular idea (one-off sales are owned, whereas ideas that can be sold several times are licensed). If the author of the idea has contributed any other material to inform the idea(sketches or written material, for example), it will be included in the Idea Package.
Once I buy an idea, can I use it in any way I like?
There are many reasons why you might buy an idea: as an artwork, to hang on your wall, as an investment, to on-sell, to carry out yourself, or to adapt the concept of the idea into another work. All these reasons are within the legal rights that you have as the purchaser of the idea. If the author has placed conditions on an idea, this will be detailed in the "Extra Information" section.
Do I have to provide proof that I have carried out the idea?
You have no obligation or responsibility to the Ideas Catalogue to provide documentation of how you use an idea that you purchase. However, we are always very pleased and interested to receive information as to how an idea has been used and can pass it on to the original contributor if requested.
Why is Issue One so much more expensive than Issue Two?
The Ideas Catalogue started out as an artwork that compiled many years of ideas thought up by its editor, Gabrielle de Vietri. When you look at it like this, and consider the creative and productive effort invested in the publication by one artist in comparison to, say, a painting, which could easily sell for $10 000, the price of $500 for a limited edition of 10 seems quite reasonable. By the second issue the Ideas Catalogue turned into much more that an artwork; the tongue-in-cheek commentary it was making on intellectual property, and the concepts of creative output and commercial product became its reality. The Ideas Catalogue became more viable as a product and as a system of trade, as well as an artwork. It contains ideas submitted by other readers and is more seriously aimed at creating exchange through this new system. With more consideration in Issue Two of the audience that would want to buy and carry out the Ideas Catalogue ideas, the price for both the catalogue and the ideas were reduced to fit the budget of artists and common people, rather than just collectors.
