5 myths about online copyrights....

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Myth No. 1: It’s on the Internet, so Anyone Can Use It.

Legal Truth: This one is unwaveringly and unequivocally false. Claiming that all online content is free is like saying, “Hey, the front door of your house was open, so I just came in and took whatever I wanted.” Just because you find an image or blog post or article or video and you like it, you may not have permission to share it.
“Folks run into problems when they do more than just link to something online,” Koustenis says. "When you directly copy or display the actual copyrighted material—in whole or part—even if you also provide a link to the original content, you're likely engaging in copyright infringement.”
And what if you share content from a friend or a brand you follow that they didn't have a right to share? If they posted stolen content and you share it, Koustenis says you’re guilty of copyright infringement.
“Knowledge or intent isn't required for copyright infringement liability,” she says. “Your right to share is only as good as the right to the original post. Know your source before you share.”
So how do you figure out what’s OK to share and what’s not? Koustenis has a few smart tips:
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Myth No. 2: No Copyright Notice Means It’s Not Copyrighted.

Legal Truth: “By U.S. copyright law, copyright is granted to a content creator the moment an idea is fixed into any tangible form,” Koustenis says. In plain English, that means that the moment a photographer clicks a shutter, a writer pens a story or an artist creates an image, it’s protected by copyright. The work doesn’t even have to be published to be protected by U.S. copyright laws. With regards to content published online, this means that every blog post and news article out there is copyrighted as well; images, music and videos are, too.
Koustenis advises every website owner to put a copyright notice on their website. The footer is the most common area to do this, and you can do it today if you haven’t already. Registering a copyright is only necessary if you’re going to take legal action against someone for violating your copyright. In cases such as those, an attorney can help you expedite the copyright registration process.
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Myth No. 3: You Can’t Copyright Words.

Legal Truth: Actually, you can. I once encountered three websites that had stolen, nearly verbatim, a single page of my website. After a brief fight, two of those pages were taken down. The other page never made it to publication because the copywriter who was asked to “polish” my stolen content by his client said, “Hey, I know this writer. You can’t use this.” (Thankfully, he had contacted me and let me know—I’m forever grateful.)
“People may be confused here because they've heard you can’t copyright facts or ideas. This is true. But one’s expression of those facts and ideas is protected," Kousenis says. "When it comes to written expression, copyright infringement is determined by a measure of substantial similarity.” That means if you compare two pages—the copyrighted, original work and the potentially offending work side by side—they need to be substantially different in order to avoid copyright infringement. Even if you paraphrase, and change some words and the order of sentences, you can still be found guilty of copyright infringement and assessed the penalties you see cited below in Myth No. 5.
Your best bet? Write your own stuff from scratch or hire someone to do it for you, if you’re not so great with words.
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Myth No. 4: If They Didn’t Want It Shared, They Shouldn't Have Posted It.

Legal Truth: C’mon. You’re smarter than this. While the Internet makes is easy to share, that doesn’t mean you're granted a right to share just because you have an Internet connection.
“There's plenty of public opinion today in favor of a copyright-free or at least a copyright-less Internet, and further evolution of copyright to keep up with the Internet age is almost certain,” Koustenis says. “But that doesn’t discount the importance of protecting and encouraging creative expression.”
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Myth No. 5: I Didn’t Know I Couldn’t Use That Content, so I Can’t Get in Trouble.

Legal Truth: Use that same argument with the cop who pulls you over for running a red light or driving under the influence, and let me know how that works out for you. Ignorance of the law doesn’t excuse you from the law.
When you steal stuff online, there are several actions that can be taken against you:
The content creator can sue you. Are you ready for a lawsuit? Costs can be hefty. You may be liable for damages that run into the thousands of dollars—this photographer won almost $250,000 in damages.
Your website can be shut down if you host stolen content. If you post stolen content on your site, the copyright owner can file a DMCA Takedown Notice with your hosting company. Not only can they force you to remove the content, but your entire site might be shut down if you don’t comply.
So many people these days are most likely sharing content that's protected by copyrights. For additional reading and resources related to this topic, Koustenis recommends the following:
 

Restitution

New Member
Why are you wasting your time posting this here? After the last couple days... you should know that the defense team will shut you down regardless of what you post :shrug:
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
Why are you wasting your time posting this here? After the last couple days... you should know that the defense team will shut you down regardless of what you post :shrug:

Why does anyone post here.....it's fun, informative. We get to know psycho people we would never get to meet in real life, unless you seek out dingy basements.
My world does not have nhboy, TJ, MR, Bacon, Hanks, and misfits in it it. I think being here balances me out. It's fun!

I hang out with Hijnx, Gilligan types all the time...
 

littlelady

God bless the USA
Why does anyone post here.....it's fun, informative. We get to know psycho people we would never get to meet in real life, unless you seek out dingy basements.
My world does not have nhboy, TJ, MR, Bacon, Hanks, and misfits in it it. I think being here balances me out. It's fun!

I hang out with Hijnx, Gilligan types all the time...

That's the truth. Why? And, it seems the negative people post here, too. So, what is their point? Search me! I have been accused of being psycho by the very members you mentioned. And, it is funny that you mention Hi and Gill; they are my friends. Something about this forum is addicting, but that subject is talked about in other threads. :killingme:
 

Restitution

New Member
Why does anyone post here.....it's fun, informative. We get to know psycho people we would never get to meet in real life, unless you seek out dingy basements.
My world does not have nhboy, TJ, MR, Bacon, Hanks, and misfits in it it. I think being here balances me out. It's fun!

I hang out with Hijnx, Gilligan types all the time...

I was alluding to the fact that even though several board members have had issue with certain cut-n-paste only posters, they seem to be well defensed by the ruling class around here for some odd reason. Makes you wonder though.... I guess that premo money goes pretty far. :yay:
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
I was alluding to the fact that even though several board members have had issue with certain cut-n-paste only posters, they seem to be well defensed by the ruling class around here for some odd reason. Makes you wonder though.... I guess that premo money goes pretty far. :yay:

Nobody forces you to be here.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Excerpt and link is acceptable practice.

I am suprised his behavior hasn't caused you to get sued out of existence yet. He posts entire articles without using them to create his own content. His ripping of others content is not covered under the 'fair use' doctrine under any stretch of the imagination.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
I was alluding to the fact that even though several board members have had issue with certain cut-n-paste only posters, they seem to be well defensed by the ruling class around here for some odd reason. Makes you wonder though.... I guess that premo money goes pretty far. :yay:

It's not the premo money. Stealing articles and re-posting them drives traffic from the search engines. More traffic in turn increases ad revenue to the site.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
It's not the premo money. Stealing articles and re-posting them drives traffic from the search engines. More traffic in turn increases ad revenue to the site.

Or it could simply be a matter of allowing all viewpoints to be represented in a community forum.
 
Top