Copyright
is a right of ownership attached to an original
work. The U.S. 1976 Copyright Act gives the copyright
owner the exclusive right to -- reproduce,
adapt, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display
a work. The copyright owner or holder is often the creator of
the work but not always.
The PURPOSE of copyright is to balance the rights of copyright
owners with the rights of the
public to access and use original works.
Ensuring rights for both parties promotes the sharing of information
and allows for the creation of new ideas, which in turn encourages
the advancement of knowledge.
Copyright
impacts your right to copy materials, whether the material is
a journal article or a graphic from a web site.
The law is complex, but ignorance is no defense. It is important
to be aware of copyright
law whenever you consider copying, using, or distributing others'
works. |
