Public Domain

This report focuses on copyright protection so that you develop a solid understanding of it. Some of the areas covered are copyright basics, when does a work pass into the public domain, what is the public domain, the right to display public domain images, the myths of copyright protection and frequently asked questions about copyright and the public domain.

Myths About Copyright

Beware of these myths about copyrighted materials: If it doesn't have a copyright notice, it's not copyrighted.

What Is Copyright?

History of copyright and its laws.

Copyright Theft -- Internet Highway Robbery

Karri Hill learned the hard way not to trust a competitive web developer when it comes to copyright. She designed a proposal for a potential client and a few months later, saw her design online. Trouble was, she didn't receive any payment for it

Musicians and Copyrights – What You Need To Know

As musicians and songwriters, we’ve all wondered what it takes to protect our creative output from theft or plagiarism. That’s the point when copywriting our work becomes a concern. Why would anyone want their hard work to go to waste if we could somehow protect our creative property?

Marketing And Copyright Lessons From The Dead

No matter how much inventory you have, or how large your customer base, the viability of your business depends on the flow of your thinking, your creativity, your presence. What do you do when someone steals your hard work? Send a thank-you note.

FAQs - Copyright

Many people seem to think that putting a copyright notice on their work protects their rights. They are only partly right. Registering the copyright is an important step.

How To Give Notice of Copyright On Your Works

The use of a copyright notice is no longer required under U. S. law, but you should still give notice whenever possible. Because prior law did contain such a requirement, however, the use of notice is still relevant to the copyright status of older works.

Licensing Your Copyrighted Works

If you’ve taken the necessary steps to register your copyrighted works, you inevitably will have an opportunity to royalties off of them. To take advantage of the opportunity, you will need to be familiar with copyright license agreements.

Honoring the Copyrights of Composers, Too

Many photographers use music to enhance their photography. But since music is a work protected by copyright law, make sure that you honor the copyright of the composer, too.

Copyright Transfer or License - How You Can Share Your Copyright and Still Keep It

You can transfer the copyright to an image, either by selling it or giving it away. If so, you give up all rights that you had in the image as if you never took the photograph. But the only way to give up a copyright to an image is in writing. Even when copies of a photo are distributed, the photographer retains the copyrights to the image. If you give your client copies of the digital files, without more, you are not giving up your copyrights.

Not Every Written Word Can Be Copyrighted

A coommonly held misconception about the copyright protection is that your ideas as well as your words are covered. To understand exactly what is -- and what is NOT -- portected when you apply the copyright symbol to your work.

How Long Does Copyright Last?

Are you wondering how long your copyright will last and protect your intellectual property. Here's a quick report that gives you the key facts.

Apple and Microsoft Have Teamed Up

They are currently violating what we here in the US call Freedom of Speech. Have you heard of Digital Rights Management or DRM for short? What you don't know is that we no longer have control of the music we pay for!

Keeping Out Of Trouble With Websites

It is easier to get in trouble with a website than you might think. What follows, then, are a few tips to help keep your website clear of problems. A word of caution - the law is changing in this area, and the specific facts of each case make a huge difference.