Copyright Laws and the Internet

Copyright Laws and the Internet are confusing to most freelance writers, especially for those who do not hold a law degree. After all what exactly is a copyright? Well, technically it's a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, architectural and certain other intellectual works. However, this does not mean much to the average freelance writer who wants to make sure they do not get into trouble for copyright infringement. The copyright laws become even fuzzier when you try and apply them to the Internet. Following is a no non-sense, simple guide for freelancers to follow in order to ensure their work is not breaking any rules.

Copyright Laws and the Internet

The first thing you need to know about copyright laws and the Internet is that if a work in cyberspace is not marked as copyrighted, it is still copyrighted. Many people mistakenly assume just because a work does not have copyrighted emblem that it's free to use. Laws established at the Berne Copyright Convention specify that everything created privately and originally after April 1, 1989 is copyrighted. All Internet users must assume that the work is copyrighted – this means everything you can see or read on the Internet is copyrighted! You are not free to use it unless the original author or owner gives you permission.

How to Protect Yourself

Now that you know everything on the Internet is copyrighted, you need to know how to protect yourself. There are many interpretations of copyright law and honestly, some parts of the copyright law regarding the web are quite vague. However, experts say if you abide by the following guidelines you should be thoroughly protected:

First, realize that it’s not just text that is protected by copyright law. All of the following are copyrighted:

• Links
• Graphics
• Audio
• Video
• HTML, VRML, and other unique markup language sequences
• List of Web sites compiled by an individual or organization
• All other unique elements that make up the original nature of the material

What You Can Do

When you write something or create a website, you can do the following without worrying about copyright issues:

Link to other web sites

The only thing you have to do is check with some individuals and organizations as they may have specific requirements when you link to their web material. You must check a site carefully to find such rules. If you can't find any rules regarding this, then you should email or ask a representative from the organization.

Use free graphics

If the graphics are not advertised as "free" they should not be copied without permission. There are many great sources for free graphics or inexpensive graphics, such as:

• Stock Exchange: Free images
• iStockPhoto: Inexpensive images
• Getty Images: Free and images for pay

What You Can't Do

Here are some things you definitely do not want to do:

• Place contents from another website in your work, even if you list the source
• Copy and paste information together from several different sources from the Internet to make a new, "original" document. This is still full-blown plagiarism. You can, of course, take limited ideas or phrases from other sources as long as you use proper citation and quotes when needed. This is the same policy you would use for for print sources.
• You cannot use text or images from emails in your document or website without permission. You are also not permitted to forward someone's original email without permission from the first sender.
• Copy and paste a list of resources or websites into your own work.
• Copy and paste logos, icons, and other graphics from other web sites unless you have permission. Some businesses will be happy to lend you their logos for promotion – it's free advertising. But you still have to ask to make sure!

Use this basic guide of Do's and Don'ts to navigate your way through copyright law as a freelance writer. If you're still unsure experts recommend asking yourself one question, will I offend anyone by using this material? If the answer is remotely near to yes, than it's in your best interest to ask permission.

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