Copyright, Copyrighting, and Online Copyright Abuse - Save Yourself the Headache by Reading This!

Lets start with copyright infringement.

It is easily explained as copying someone else's work without gaining permission first. This includes publishing other peoples work to your web site, newspaper, magazine or even just downloading it to your computer can be seen as copyright infringement. The last is known as a grey area.

Other peoples work means anything created by a person. It can be written content, graphical content, musical content or even html, JavaScript, PHP, CGI, patterns, textures, animations. It is anything tangible that's created by a person. NOTE: A idea cannot be copyrighted due to the fact it is not tangible.

Example....

I have just finished reading a book on how to service my car. The author of the book explains in detail the different ways a person can go about the job. He also details tips and tricks he has learnt over the years that speed up the servicing.

Now after putting into practice what the author wrote I could go and write my own book on how to service my car, right?

Right!

Why? Well the author can only copyright the content of his book (words, pictures... etc) he cannot copyright the practice or idea there in. This can be viewed in many different ways so if your unsure it is always best to at least email the author before taking any action with there material.

The short and sweet way of looking at this is your content no matter what creative medium it falls under is automatically copyrighted to you for the duration of your life. It can only be broken if you decide to give your content away for free (you must state that it is copyright free material) or you die and nobody registers for the copyright to your material.

This leads us to Public Domain material.....

Before 1978 copyright only lasted 27 seven years. These days it lasts the duration of the creators life. Therefor from the minute you create your work it is automatically copyrighted to you. It is still important to state this wherever you decide to publish your material.

Public Domain material has no copyright and can be used in anyway you see fit. Also unless you change it in someway it is still Public Domain. So if you find a book that is in the Public Domain and you start selling it on EBay, there is nothing stopping the people who buy it from selling it themselves. That's why it is important to change the material. Add something to it so it stands out or modernize the language so people can understand the material better. Any changes copyright the "new" book to you.

Anything published before 1928 falls under Public Domain. That is of course unless someone got there first and changed the material in some way. You have to watch out for that. It could get you into trouble.

That's the basics. For a more detailed insight into copyright go to GOV.

Also depending on your country things maybe different so make sure you know where you stand.

Personal Note......

Copyrighting your work is a good thing. You are the sole owner of what you create and so you should be. There is a problem here though. Once your material is published to the web, book, magazine or even TV your leaving your material open to abuse.

This could be viewed as unfortunate but truthfully if it wasn't for copying other peoples HTML code I would have never learned HTML. It was the same for Java Script and Graphic Design. Even writing and game creation were learnt from copying others first.

It is also well known that internet marketers keep something called a Swipe File on there computer. This is where they paste items of interest they find on the web. It is a digital scrapbook basically.

People learn by first copying and then creating. It is the natural order of life to copy others. So if you want to be strict about your copyright that's fine. Just remember how you learnt what you know before you draw a line in the sand:)

To gain a helping hand in building content for your site quickly, head to IM Content. New content added daily.

To make money with this article you can add 1 affiliate link here. You cannot add adult or scam related affiliate links.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Copywriting Information:

Related Articles

How To Personalize Your Headlines For Increased Profits!
Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve your sales response. You can do this by mentioning a person by name, their city, their career field, their job title, or group right in the headline.
Hook Your Direct Mail Sales Letter Readers With Good Transition Sentences
Anglers in Maine catch trout using dry flies with barbless hooks. Unless they keep tension on the line all the way to the net, they lose the trout.
The Lead: Sinking The Hook Into Your Prospect
You only have an instant to capture your prospect's attention. No matter the medium - a sales letter, print ad, or commercial - she's going to make an almost instantaneous decision about whether you are worth her time or not.
Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price
Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing sales letters and proposals for our own direct marketing services and for our clients.It's all about "price".
How You Can Find Freelance Children's Writing Positions That Will Last
Freelance children's writing positions are always advertised. Rather, the schooling to learn how to write for these jobs is advertised.
3 Tips For Writing Better Headlines
The single most important element of your website's copyis the headline. Take away practically everything elseand you can still manage a sale (if the headline's good enough and you have a strong enough call to action).
Can You Become a Freelance Copywriter in Los Angeles?
Is it out there? The chance to be a freelance copywriter in Los Angeles? For those looking to become a copy writer, finding employment in various cities can be difficult. In fact, most freelance writers around the world struggle to find employment or jobs that are within their own cities and home towns.
10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters
Every week I receive a couple of emails from people seeking advice on how to get into freelance copywriting. While there's no simple answer, and no answer which applies to everyone, there are a few tips which I believe will help most people make the move into freelance copywriting, and survive the first few months at least.
Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 1 of 2
One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too.
Revealed: The $12,500 Copywriting Formula
Have you heard of Brian Keith Voiles? Probably not, but if you have eyes you've seen his ad campaigns and you probably even bought products that he created ad campaigns for. Would you like to have the formula he gets paid $12,500 to put into use for Fortune 500 Companies?Well then, today's your lucky day, isn't it? If you follow this formula whenever you write a sales letter or an ad you'll see how well it increases your success.
10 Tips for Writing Web Copy
One of the most important aspects of a website today is the webcopy - sometimes called the sales letter.In days gone bye, banners and graphics were all important but now it's the words that do the selling.
Professional Copywriting Services - How to Provide Your Own
Just because you're running a small business doesn't mean you have to run an amateur business. People judge the professionalism of a small business by many things including:the quality of the product or service offered;the dress code of the sales people;the location and decor of the business premises and;the quality of their written material.
Stop Chasing Away Customers! Bad Copy is Your Worst Enemy
Every day, more and more of us begin new online businessventures, hoping to make a better living or just a little extraon the side. And every day, more and more of us fail.
13 Steps to a Slippery Slope Online Sales Letter
Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people who offer services. They're coaches, consultants, creatives.
Yale University Researchers Reveal The 12 Most Powerful Words In The Human Language...
In this article, I am going to reveal a dozen words, which could change your life. Why? Because Yale University researches have identified the 12 most powerful words in the human language? proven to attract attention and stir emotion within their readers.
What Is Persuasive Copywriting And How Can It Help Your Business?
Persuasive copywriting is what draws the attention of prospective customers. They see your product and are drawn it.
Six Reasons You Don't Need a Technical Writer (and Why They're Dead Wrong!)
I know, I know. Times are tough.
Website Advertising: 10 Tactics To Make Your Ad Copy More Impactful
If your ad is not generating a lot of sales, the reason may be because it is not effective.Here are secret website advertising tactics to make it more impactful and therefore generate more orders:1.
How Cliffhanger Paragraphs Capture Readers
About 50 years ago, movie serials kept theater crowds coming back week after week. Each episode ended with a "cliffhanger," a suspenseful unresolved problem.
Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy
Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers.