To those who have been a victim of copyright theft, they are fully aware of the importance of copyright protection, security certification and security training. Apart from that you must be prepared to deal with the situation when someone tries to steal your content.
You must have noticed the mention of when rather than if. That was actually intentional. With the excess of information available on Internet, it is just a matter of "when" instead of "if".
The initial step in knowing about what to do when somebody takes your content is to keep in mind that it is bound to happen. Thus the more geared up and well-informed you remain, the better are your probability of prevention. This will help you keep a plan in place when any such thing happens.
As the amount of WebPages and blogs rise, the demand for newer content keeps on putting more pressure on website administrators. Tired of the situation, the only option is to steal others content. This is because their aim is to attract traffic which is not possible without website hijacking. It is the obvious use of part or at times your entire website content without permission. It is also a kind of copyright violation that must be dealt with.
Copyright rules were intended to defend those who deserved to be honored. Just imagine what will happen when you stop paying your lawyers, doctors or electricians, etc. technically they must be paid for their services. In case, you do not, the collectors will be after you. Likewise, when your web content is stolen there is something that you need to do fast. The first thin to do is confront content theft.
In case your wallet, or purse gets stolen, or you have a robbery at home, you can call the police and insurance company so that your valuables can be recovered. But when your content gets stolen, the big question is where to look for help?
Sadly, until some agency is organized to protect your inventive rights, the majority of the combat needs to be done by you. There is no need to get overwhelmed by this thought. The idea is to make the procedure of retrieving your stolen content easy to understand and implement.
After that you need to clear your myth popular about copyrights and their violation.
• Chasing somebody accused of copyright violation is not that time-consuming or expensive.
• You do not need to hire a lawyer.
• You do not need anything apart from some easy actions.
• The defense of copyright rules must NOT be given solely to companies having money.
• The Protection and safeguard of copyrights is not that complicated.
Believe it or not, these are all myths. Only because information on internet is free does not really give you the right to steal it. Everything from designs, images to graphics is all protected by copyright laws. Being an intellectual property, no one has the right to steal them under any circumstances.
Not tracking down or stopping a property from getting stolen is no easy task. You have to go deep into the matter to find out who the culprit is.
Stewart Wrighter recently studied new security certification sites online while conducting research for an article. He was impressed with the new security training sites he found online.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
How Do I Copyright Music? The Simple Steps to Protect Your Work by Justine Shoolman
Copyright law falls under the umbrella of Intellectual Property which also includes Patents, Trademarks, Industrial Design and Trade Secrets. Each one of these sectors deals with a different type of protection for various types of works.
When dealing with musical works, it's important to understand what constitutes a musical work before we can determine how it is protected through copyright law. The Canadian Copyright Act (for example) defines musical works as: "any work of music or musical composition, with or without words, and includes any compilation thereof."
Interestingly, not all "musical" works actually fall under this category with regards to registration. Some may fall under the categories of "Sound Recordings" or "Performers' Performances".
In order to establish which category your musical work should be registered in, you must determine exactly what you are trying to protect. Some examples of what may be protected include:
a) lyrics: protected as a literary work
b) musical composition in any format: protected as a musical work
c) a specific recording of a song: protected as a sound recording
d) if you are a singer, your specific recorded performance of a song: protected as a performer's performance
Now that you have determined which category your music falls into, let's look at how to protect the copyright.
A common misconception is that people need to pay a third party to copyright their music.
However - the exclusive right of copyright (including the rights to produce, reproduce, distribute and publish the work) is automatically granted under Copyright Law to the author of a work once it is put in a fixed form.
In other words, when you record an original musical composition that you created onto a CD, it is copyrighted and you own the rights. However, unless you can prove you are the original creator of the musical work, you may run into expensive and time-consuming legal problems defending your work in the event of infringement.
This is why registering your work is often recommended, especially in our digital era where music is often showcased on websites and accessed by millions of people.
What registering a copyright does is it creates third party time-stamped proof of the time of creation. As such, should someone infringe on your work, you will have a registration certificate proving your work was completed before theirs. Without the registration, it can be tricky coming up with acceptable proof that you created the song first.
For instance, let's say I create a musical composition and play if for a friend who is also a musician. They then (not intentionally) create a new song, and accidentally steal my melody. They finish their song, register it with a copyright registration service, and get picked up by a label. Even though I was the first one to make the song, it might be very difficult for me to prove that I played them the song before they made their composition if I did not first register the work.
As such, to build proof of your ownership (and to maintain friendships), it's generally a good idea to register your music before showcasing it publicly.
Disclaimer
The above information is meant as a general guide to further your copyright knowledge about music and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your specific musical work, you should consult a copyright lawyer in your country.
Justine Shoolman is a Founder of Copyright Creators (CC), a service inspired by the shortfalls of poor man's copyright. CC protects copyright for life with no membership fees. Visit CC today to receive 4 free registrations.
When dealing with musical works, it's important to understand what constitutes a musical work before we can determine how it is protected through copyright law. The Canadian Copyright Act (for example) defines musical works as: "any work of music or musical composition, with or without words, and includes any compilation thereof."
Interestingly, not all "musical" works actually fall under this category with regards to registration. Some may fall under the categories of "Sound Recordings" or "Performers' Performances".
In order to establish which category your musical work should be registered in, you must determine exactly what you are trying to protect. Some examples of what may be protected include:
a) lyrics: protected as a literary work
b) musical composition in any format: protected as a musical work
c) a specific recording of a song: protected as a sound recording
d) if you are a singer, your specific recorded performance of a song: protected as a performer's performance
Now that you have determined which category your music falls into, let's look at how to protect the copyright.
A common misconception is that people need to pay a third party to copyright their music.
However - the exclusive right of copyright (including the rights to produce, reproduce, distribute and publish the work) is automatically granted under Copyright Law to the author of a work once it is put in a fixed form.
In other words, when you record an original musical composition that you created onto a CD, it is copyrighted and you own the rights. However, unless you can prove you are the original creator of the musical work, you may run into expensive and time-consuming legal problems defending your work in the event of infringement.
This is why registering your work is often recommended, especially in our digital era where music is often showcased on websites and accessed by millions of people.
What registering a copyright does is it creates third party time-stamped proof of the time of creation. As such, should someone infringe on your work, you will have a registration certificate proving your work was completed before theirs. Without the registration, it can be tricky coming up with acceptable proof that you created the song first.
For instance, let's say I create a musical composition and play if for a friend who is also a musician. They then (not intentionally) create a new song, and accidentally steal my melody. They finish their song, register it with a copyright registration service, and get picked up by a label. Even though I was the first one to make the song, it might be very difficult for me to prove that I played them the song before they made their composition if I did not first register the work.
As such, to build proof of your ownership (and to maintain friendships), it's generally a good idea to register your music before showcasing it publicly.
Disclaimer
The above information is meant as a general guide to further your copyright knowledge about music and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your specific musical work, you should consult a copyright lawyer in your country.
Justine Shoolman is a Founder of Copyright Creators (CC), a service inspired by the shortfalls of poor man's copyright. CC protects copyright for life with no membership fees. Visit CC today to receive 4 free registrations.
The Copyright Notice - 6 Reasons it Can Increase Protection of Your Work by Justine Shoolman
To include the notice, or not to include the notice? A common point of confusion for copyright creators is whether they need to include the copyright notice with their work for copyright protection.
The good news for most creators is you do not need to include a copyright notice with your work to have copyright protection; and by 'protection' we mean the rights to produce, reproduce and perform your work.
In general, copyright protection is granted automatically upon the completion of your work in a fixed form. Having said this, there is some fine print one should be aware of, especially for works created in the United States.
Short History of the Copyright Notice:
Under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which concluded in 1886, copyright protection is automatically granted for original works expressed in a fixed form (for example, a format that can be perceived, communicated and reproduced such as on paper, memory key, compact disc, etc.). There are over 100 countries who are signatories of the Berne Convention, all of which are listed on the World Intellectual Property Office's website. In addition, countries that are a part of the World Trade Organization have to adhere to almost all of the conditions of the Berne Convention.
The beauty of the convention is it harmonizes and sets minimum standards of copyright laws between the member countries. This has greatly reduced the risk for copyright creators when publishing their works internationally, as they will receive similar protection abroad as they would in their own country.
When copyright protection is automatic, as it is for all Berne Convention countries, you are not required to use the copyright notice to protect your work.
Now, the tricky part is for U.S citizens. The United States only joined the Berne Convention on March 1st 1981, which means any works published before this date may still require the copyright notice to protect copyright, unlike works published after March 1st 1989.
Although the Copyright Notice is Not Required, here are 6 Reasons it Can Increase Protection of Copyright:
1. The copyright notice tells the public that the work is protected by copyright law. Without the notice, someone interested in using the work might mistakenly think it is available for use without permission.
2. It helps identify the copyright owner which is handy if anyone needs to contact them regarding the work.
3. It provides the year of publication which can be important in determining the duration of copyright.
4. A copyright notice makes it much harder for an infringer to claim that they did not know the work was copyrighted. If the notice is not present, an infringer could use this reasoning in court and potentially be acquitted of the charges.
5. The notice might act as a deterrent for someone to infringe on the work. If a person knows the work is protected, they might be less likely to use it.
6. It's easier for someone to make contact to obtain permission to use your work when a copyright notice is present.
As you can see, even though having the copyright notice is not required, it's definitely a good idea to help protect copyright.
Disclaimer
The above information is meant as a general guide to further your copyright knowledge and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your specific work, you should consult a copyright lawyer in your country.
Justine Shoolman is a Founder of Copyright Creators (CC), a service inspired by the shortfalls of poor man's copyright. CC protects copyright for life with no membership fees. Visit CC today to receive 4 free registrations.
The good news for most creators is you do not need to include a copyright notice with your work to have copyright protection; and by 'protection' we mean the rights to produce, reproduce and perform your work.
In general, copyright protection is granted automatically upon the completion of your work in a fixed form. Having said this, there is some fine print one should be aware of, especially for works created in the United States.
Short History of the Copyright Notice:
Under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which concluded in 1886, copyright protection is automatically granted for original works expressed in a fixed form (for example, a format that can be perceived, communicated and reproduced such as on paper, memory key, compact disc, etc.). There are over 100 countries who are signatories of the Berne Convention, all of which are listed on the World Intellectual Property Office's website. In addition, countries that are a part of the World Trade Organization have to adhere to almost all of the conditions of the Berne Convention.
The beauty of the convention is it harmonizes and sets minimum standards of copyright laws between the member countries. This has greatly reduced the risk for copyright creators when publishing their works internationally, as they will receive similar protection abroad as they would in their own country.
When copyright protection is automatic, as it is for all Berne Convention countries, you are not required to use the copyright notice to protect your work.
Now, the tricky part is for U.S citizens. The United States only joined the Berne Convention on March 1st 1981, which means any works published before this date may still require the copyright notice to protect copyright, unlike works published after March 1st 1989.
Although the Copyright Notice is Not Required, here are 6 Reasons it Can Increase Protection of Copyright:
1. The copyright notice tells the public that the work is protected by copyright law. Without the notice, someone interested in using the work might mistakenly think it is available for use without permission.
2. It helps identify the copyright owner which is handy if anyone needs to contact them regarding the work.
3. It provides the year of publication which can be important in determining the duration of copyright.
4. A copyright notice makes it much harder for an infringer to claim that they did not know the work was copyrighted. If the notice is not present, an infringer could use this reasoning in court and potentially be acquitted of the charges.
5. The notice might act as a deterrent for someone to infringe on the work. If a person knows the work is protected, they might be less likely to use it.
6. It's easier for someone to make contact to obtain permission to use your work when a copyright notice is present.
As you can see, even though having the copyright notice is not required, it's definitely a good idea to help protect copyright.
Disclaimer
The above information is meant as a general guide to further your copyright knowledge and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your specific work, you should consult a copyright lawyer in your country.
Justine Shoolman is a Founder of Copyright Creators (CC), a service inspired by the shortfalls of poor man's copyright. CC protects copyright for life with no membership fees. Visit CC today to receive 4 free registrations.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Learn How to Copyright Your Music by Brad Barnett
To protect your music from being misused or plagiarized, you need to copyright your music. This is essential or you may find your music being ripped off. If the copyrighted material is plagiarized then you can take action and claim damages but unless the music is copyrighted, you may be left high and dry, wringing your hands in frustration. Copyrighting comes with a fee as most things do, however it gives you peace of mind regarding your creative effort.
What is Copyrighting?
When you write or compose something original and lay claims to it, it automatically becomes your own. Laying claims need to be made through a statutory body recognized by law. In this way you can be assured that your original creation will not be misused. Some people simply send a copy of the CD to themselves in their mail to prove the date and time. This is poor man's copyright and does not carry too much weight nor is it enough to claim a penalty. A copyright needs to be approved by the government to make it legal. The official process to copyright your music involves going through the government process of obtaining a copyright from the US Copyright Office. The process is simple and reliable.
Requirements for Copyrighting Your Music
A copy of the songs to be copyrighted A copyright form An envelope for mailing them $45
Tips Regarding the Official Copyright Form
1. If you are going to copyright your music, sound as well as music, then you need Form SR for Sound Recording to copyright both as copyrighting the sound alone will not take care of your composition. This is absolutely required if your band has recorded an album. 2. The Performing Arts copyright lets you copyright the song too. If you submit a recording to be copyrighted then only your song will be copyrighted and not the sound recording. If you are a songwriter and are not worried about the recording the Form PA should be good enough for you. 3. There is a CON or a Continuation Form along with the SR or PA form which can be used as continuation forms when you copyright your music.
Register your copyrighted music
Copyright your music by registering it. First fill in the appropriate forms SR, PA or CON. Write out a check for $45 and make it out to "Register of Copyrights". Make a good copy of the music that you need copyrighted. This copy will be retained and will not be returned to you. Next put everything (CD, forms and check) in an envelope and mail it to:
Library of Congress Copyright Office 101 Independence Avenue, SE Washington DC 20559-6000
Copyright your music and have peace of mind regarding your composition. This is absolutely necessary if you wish to prevent plagiarism. Copyright your music and make it legally yours. The process is simple does not cost the earth, when compared to the risks involved if you do not copyright your original creation. A lot of effort and time has gone in to creating your music so protect it by copyrighting it.
Brad Barnett knows what you need to do to successfully promote your band and music on and offline. He has been a part of the music scene for 10+ years playing, recording, and distributing his music. He offers you free tips and resources to promote your band.
What is Copyrighting?
When you write or compose something original and lay claims to it, it automatically becomes your own. Laying claims need to be made through a statutory body recognized by law. In this way you can be assured that your original creation will not be misused. Some people simply send a copy of the CD to themselves in their mail to prove the date and time. This is poor man's copyright and does not carry too much weight nor is it enough to claim a penalty. A copyright needs to be approved by the government to make it legal. The official process to copyright your music involves going through the government process of obtaining a copyright from the US Copyright Office. The process is simple and reliable.
Requirements for Copyrighting Your Music
A copy of the songs to be copyrighted A copyright form An envelope for mailing them $45
Tips Regarding the Official Copyright Form
1. If you are going to copyright your music, sound as well as music, then you need Form SR for Sound Recording to copyright both as copyrighting the sound alone will not take care of your composition. This is absolutely required if your band has recorded an album. 2. The Performing Arts copyright lets you copyright the song too. If you submit a recording to be copyrighted then only your song will be copyrighted and not the sound recording. If you are a songwriter and are not worried about the recording the Form PA should be good enough for you. 3. There is a CON or a Continuation Form along with the SR or PA form which can be used as continuation forms when you copyright your music.
Register your copyrighted music
Copyright your music by registering it. First fill in the appropriate forms SR, PA or CON. Write out a check for $45 and make it out to "Register of Copyrights". Make a good copy of the music that you need copyrighted. This copy will be retained and will not be returned to you. Next put everything (CD, forms and check) in an envelope and mail it to:
Library of Congress Copyright Office 101 Independence Avenue, SE Washington DC 20559-6000
Copyright your music and have peace of mind regarding your composition. This is absolutely necessary if you wish to prevent plagiarism. Copyright your music and make it legally yours. The process is simple does not cost the earth, when compared to the risks involved if you do not copyright your original creation. A lot of effort and time has gone in to creating your music so protect it by copyrighting it.
Brad Barnett knows what you need to do to successfully promote your band and music on and offline. He has been a part of the music scene for 10+ years playing, recording, and distributing his music. He offers you free tips and resources to promote your band.
How to Get Free Images For Articles - Copyright Worry Free by Pauline Go
The technological advancement in computers has made working from home extremely convenient and lucrative. Many people these days are earning handsome pay packages by writing articles for various websites. The range of topics incorporated in these articles is immensely diverse. Any written matter when supplemented with illustrations not only looks more attractive, but also leaves a greater impact on the psyche of the reader.
There is a plethora of images online covering every subject under the sun. However, these are mostly protected under the copyright law and using such images could lead to legal complications. At the same time, there are many images online that can be utilized free of charge and without any fear of copyright issues. All that is required is adequate knowledge of acquiring such free images.
Firstly, it is vital for the user to search online for specifically 'free stock images'. Such images are not safeguarded by copyrights and can be downloaded for free. There are loads of royalty free images also obtainable online. For such images, the user needs to pay only once and these can be used subsequently without any further expense. There are images available in public domain and under creative common license as well. These also can be used without the hitch of plagiarism. Searching under all these avenues broadens the scope of accessibility of images as desired.
Secondly, one must understand that many of these websites with free stock images require registration. Once the user becomes a member of the website, he or she can avail free access to the images.
Thirdly, it might be helpful to have an alternative concept for images in mind, as it may not always be possible to come across the exact topic.
Fourthly, most users turn a blind eye to the text matter portrayed on these websites. In general, users are in a hurry to acquire the images and in the process give little consideration to the listed regulations. The terms and conditions should be not only read, but also comprehended and followed strictly in order to prevent any repercussions. Most commonly, the rules state certain restrictions on the type of use the images can be put to and also highlight the way the site or photographer needs to be given recognition. It is very significant not to overlook this aspect. Each time an image is downloaded, one must remember to take note of the name of the site and the photographer so that due acknowledgment can be given at an appropriate time and place.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in legal industry. She also offers top quality tips like:
Copyright Infringement Penalty, Public Domain Definition
There is a plethora of images online covering every subject under the sun. However, these are mostly protected under the copyright law and using such images could lead to legal complications. At the same time, there are many images online that can be utilized free of charge and without any fear of copyright issues. All that is required is adequate knowledge of acquiring such free images.
Firstly, it is vital for the user to search online for specifically 'free stock images'. Such images are not safeguarded by copyrights and can be downloaded for free. There are loads of royalty free images also obtainable online. For such images, the user needs to pay only once and these can be used subsequently without any further expense. There are images available in public domain and under creative common license as well. These also can be used without the hitch of plagiarism. Searching under all these avenues broadens the scope of accessibility of images as desired.
Secondly, one must understand that many of these websites with free stock images require registration. Once the user becomes a member of the website, he or she can avail free access to the images.
Thirdly, it might be helpful to have an alternative concept for images in mind, as it may not always be possible to come across the exact topic.
Fourthly, most users turn a blind eye to the text matter portrayed on these websites. In general, users are in a hurry to acquire the images and in the process give little consideration to the listed regulations. The terms and conditions should be not only read, but also comprehended and followed strictly in order to prevent any repercussions. Most commonly, the rules state certain restrictions on the type of use the images can be put to and also highlight the way the site or photographer needs to be given recognition. It is very significant not to overlook this aspect. Each time an image is downloaded, one must remember to take note of the name of the site and the photographer so that due acknowledgment can be given at an appropriate time and place.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in legal industry. She also offers top quality tips like:
Copyright Infringement Penalty, Public Domain Definition
What is Fair Use Law For Copyright Material? by Pauline Go
Legally work protected under the law of copyright cannot be used by anyone without the approval of the owner. There are still those who resort to plagiarism and end up as culprits of copyright infringement. Many are not aware that any matter placed under copyright protection can also be used within the legal norms by the tool of 'fair use'.
This module of fair use has been elaborated in Section 107 of the Copyright Law of 1976. This section provides the regulations under which material placed under copyright can be used in a legal way. The primary aspect to be dealt upon while deciding about the correct utility of fair use is that one needs to evaluate the social or cultural benefit from the use in comparison to the damages endured by the copyright owner. Also, fair use should not be done for monetary gains. There should be an underlying larger cause benefiting the society as a whole. Fair use is immensely beneficial in the realms of education and journalism.
When it comes to fair use, you need to take into consideration four factors. These factors are how the work is going to be used, what is the type of work, what is the extent of the use and what economic repercussions the use will have. Usually these factors are taken into consideration in case there is a lawsuit on copyright infringement. For instance, a teacher in a classroom set up shows a video clipping highlighting the adverse effects of smoking. Thereafter, certain issues pertaining to tobacco smoking are taken up in the form of a class discussion. Not only are the ill effects on health discussed but also issues such as smoking in public places leading to passive smoking and air pollution are taken up. This entire lesson plan definitely falls under the correct legal utility of fair use. The reasons of fair use as per the 'four factors' can be justified. The nature of the use was to impart knowledge and create social awareness. The extent of use was adequate as only a single scenario was stressed upon in the video. The use was confined within the four walls of the classroom. Finally, the entire exercise resulted in no monetary obligations to the owner of the copyrights. In fact, it served a greater social cause.
It is not an easy task to comprehend the legalities attached to fair use as there are different regulations encompassing fair use in different walks of life. Therefore, advocates furnish guidelines to acquaint users with the regulations and prevent any inadvertent violation of copyright laws.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in legal industry. She also offers top quality tips like:
Copyright Infringement Penalty, Public Domain Definition
This module of fair use has been elaborated in Section 107 of the Copyright Law of 1976. This section provides the regulations under which material placed under copyright can be used in a legal way. The primary aspect to be dealt upon while deciding about the correct utility of fair use is that one needs to evaluate the social or cultural benefit from the use in comparison to the damages endured by the copyright owner. Also, fair use should not be done for monetary gains. There should be an underlying larger cause benefiting the society as a whole. Fair use is immensely beneficial in the realms of education and journalism.
When it comes to fair use, you need to take into consideration four factors. These factors are how the work is going to be used, what is the type of work, what is the extent of the use and what economic repercussions the use will have. Usually these factors are taken into consideration in case there is a lawsuit on copyright infringement. For instance, a teacher in a classroom set up shows a video clipping highlighting the adverse effects of smoking. Thereafter, certain issues pertaining to tobacco smoking are taken up in the form of a class discussion. Not only are the ill effects on health discussed but also issues such as smoking in public places leading to passive smoking and air pollution are taken up. This entire lesson plan definitely falls under the correct legal utility of fair use. The reasons of fair use as per the 'four factors' can be justified. The nature of the use was to impart knowledge and create social awareness. The extent of use was adequate as only a single scenario was stressed upon in the video. The use was confined within the four walls of the classroom. Finally, the entire exercise resulted in no monetary obligations to the owner of the copyrights. In fact, it served a greater social cause.
It is not an easy task to comprehend the legalities attached to fair use as there are different regulations encompassing fair use in different walks of life. Therefore, advocates furnish guidelines to acquaint users with the regulations and prevent any inadvertent violation of copyright laws.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in legal industry. She also offers top quality tips like:
Copyright Infringement Penalty, Public Domain Definition
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