Copyright Questions

1. What is Copyright?

Copyright is a form of protection for authors or creators of things such as literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and other intellectual works.

2. Why should I care about Copyright?

You want the right to control what people can and cannot do with your work, people would be upset if they worked hard and took time to create something and someone could take the credit for it.

3. Which works are protected by Copyright?

Copyright protects the original forms of work from authors that are fixed.

4. Which works are not protected by Copyright?

Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, concepts, discoveries, devices, titles, names, short phrases, slogans, works that are not fixed in a tangible form of expression, or works with common information that's available everywhere.

5. Who owns the Copyright in a work?

It is the property of the person who wrote or created it at the moment when it is put into fixed form.

6. What is Copyright infringement?

Anyone who goes against the exclusive Copyright laws without the owners permission commits this crime. They will have to pay back the money they made off the owners work.

7. When do I need permission to copy?

You should go on a case by case basis because just because it says "Fair Use" does not mean you wont be penalized for infringing.

8. How do I obtain Copyright protection?

You immediately and automatically have Copyright protection when the work is created.

9. When and how do I register a Copyright?

You register with the Copyright Office any time before the term of copyright expires.

10. How long does Copyright protection last?

Copyright protection starts from the moment the work is created and goes on until 70 years after the death of the author or creator. When the Copyright expires the work falls into public domain and anyone can copy and use it without permission.

How do Copyright laws relate to your work in Digital Media?

We use A LOT of pictures and phrases and works of art in our projects. Copyright not only pertains to us when we use things off the internet to incorporate in our work, it also pertains to use when we create a piece of work. We sit here long hours and work hard on the things we create, it would be unfair if someone could use our work next year or next trimester and get credit for it.