Copying can elicit strong emotions, but not all copying is wrong. While any perceived form of copying may be viewed as a personal attack, understanding when copying is permissible helps inform how we respond to copying. Artistic practice and the law permit copying in certain instances. For example, copying is an accepted practice to perfect one’s technique and is used for all manner of reference when building an original image.
“Tracing” is a controversial topic in the art community. Some view it as a form of cheating, which inhibits artistic development. Technically, it can in many cases be copyright infringement. But tra