Knowing how copyright laws work is important, especially in the workplace where you're held accountable for what you produce. Here is some info about what's allowed and what's not:

Copyright Laws: A Brief Overview
Copyright laws give the author of the work the right to make copies of, alter, circulate, create sound recordings of, and perform it. Violation of one of these rights is considered copyright infringement. The author may grant licenses which give permission to copy the work under certain circumstances. In order to be eligible for a copyright, the work must be in a concrete form, be of substantial length, and contain originality in its authorship. Ideas cannot be copyrighted. It is not necessary to register for a copyright; one is created when the work is created. The law of the US also does not require the author to inform others of the copyright. Such notice is often helpful though, for it prevents infringers from claiming they didn’t realize that the work was protected. In the notice of copyright, the year of publication and the name of the owner will appear along with the copyright symbol.

Fair Use
The concept of fair use states that people should be able to use pieces of copyrighted work for commentary or criticism. Such purposes are called “transformative purposes.” However, there is no guarantee that others will view one’s use of material in such a way as fair use because the guidelines for what is considered fair use are very general since lawmakers wanted it to open to interpretation. Whenever taking portions of copyrighted material for these “transformative purposes,” use caution and give credit.

Items on a Webpage

Pictures on the Web
Images that appear on websites are often copyrighted and should never be reproduced without permission, even if the site does not state anywhere that the images are protected. After obtaining permission, it is best to give credit to the author, even if they did not request it. Only when there is a message saying that the images are “public domain” may they be used freely. When using images from a clip art collection for one’s website, one should not assume the images can be used without restraint but should check the licensing agreement that often comes with the product. It may not state exactly whether using the images on the web is permissible, but it should discuss publishing in general. Often, they will ask to give a line of credit for using one of their images.

Text on the Web
Guidelines for using another’s text one one’s website are similar to those for using images. Work should not be taken without first being granted permission, and even then appropriate credit should always be given. As stated above, text may be taken for commentary or criticism under the doctrine of fair use. If one’s site offers the option of posting material on it, one should be even more cautious. While the actual poster may be the infringer, the webmaster is responsible for all material on the site and can still be held accountable for it. Placing a notice on the site which requires that the poster pay for any damaging activities conducted is a way that can help stop some people from committing infringement. Such a notice should be placed in a leading spot on the page and should have a “click to proceed” option to further deter infringement.

Source Code
Guidelines for using source code are similar to those of using other’s text and images. Viewing the source code of a website does not violate copyright laws; however, copying and/or modifying this code does. Some sites offer web layouts for others to use, and in this case, they may specify what may be modified and how credit should be given.

Connecting to Other Websites

Linking
One form of connecting to a website is linking, in which a small piece of text or an image can be clicked on, and the user is brought to another site. Usually, one does not need permission to link to another’s website. It is considered good etiquette, however, to always ask before linking. Certain types of linking can anger some webmasters though. These types include deep linking, which is linking to specific pages of a website and skipping the home page, image links if the image is copyrighted, and links to a small piece of a website, such as an image. In order to avoid conflict, linking agreements can be made. One can put a small note on their site claiming that linking to the page is okay, or a more specific contract can be written up. The webmaster who chooses to link to other sites should also put up a disclaimer stating that they are not responsible for material found on these sites.

Framing
Framing is another way of connecting to sites that can cause disputes. It involves linking, but instead of being taken to the page, the page is displayed within a frame of the site that linked to it. If this is done without permission of the site owner, it is considered copyright infringement, especially if the page is being modified without consent of the owner. Permission should always be obtained before framing, and the user should be fully aware of the connection between the main site and the site appearing within the frame.

 

 

 

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Well that was always the problem with the internet and copyright law and the fact it is so grey taped and legal jargon that anyone can claim that they own that property. With images though, a simple watermark will prevent most images from being stolen or claimed by someone else. The same with code and scripts and that there is a very fine line between that as well, but of course most people don't use the patent office or copyright office to get most web based applications and scripts copyrighted. Of course as long as the name brand is copyrighted its just as code as well.

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Copyright Exists the moment material is 'fixed' (In other words put into tangible form. Written down, recorded scaned etc.) Protection is instant and automatic. When commissioning someone to create logos or take photos remember to discuss copyright before the work commences.

Just like if you're in a band, make sure once you've written a song to put into writing who owns what percentage of the song. There are millions of dollars frozen because a bands are fighting over who owns how much of the songs.

To be completely honest, I don't think anyone should really learn indepth about copyright, I have and now I can't seem to stop applying it to everyday life. Has my work got an APRA license (Here in Australia our Performing right collection agency is apra) Or a PPCA (In Australia we recognised copyright in a sound recording and the Phonographic Performace Company of Australia) License.

That's my little bit on copyright

I just can't stop thinking about it. It is an interesting topic. The context I've learnt it in is Music Industry wise. P2P Filesharing is making songwriters miss out on Mechanical royalties.

 

 

 

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And I forgot, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, anything you create in your working day (Unless you are freelance) the copyright is owned by the employer who commissioned the works.

So if you've got to do stuff, do them at home that way you own the copyright

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