When Designing a Website, Don't Forget About Copyright Law
If you are a web designer, or designing your own website, you need to make sure you don't violate Website Copyright Laws in the process. In short, the rule is you can't use any images or music you or your client don't own, haven't licensed, obtained permission to use, or you are not using it pursuant to the Fair Use Doctrine. Let's cover each of these:
Ownership: You can use an images or music if you create it. By creating it you have an instant Copyright without even putting a mark on it. If you write a poem, as soon as you write it down, it is yours. You own it and can do whatever you wish with it, even sell or license it. However, there are two exceptions. First, if your poem is a lot like another poem someone already written, it isn't yours. It is a derivative work and owned by the creator of the original poem. Second, if you write the poem for your boss, or a company where you work, it belongs to them because the poem is a work for hire. What you create for the boss belongs to the boss. You just get a paycheck.License: You can use an image or music if you license it from the rightful owner of the Copyright. If you desire to use a picture of a cute puppy you find on the Internet because it goes great with your dog sitting website, contact the owner of the photo. Ask her to use her puppy picture on her website. She may say yes, but it will cost you $20. In that case, you just write her an email explaining exactly how you will use the picture on your website, along with some licensing language, get her written agreement to the terms, and you exchange the $20 for a high quality digital photo of a cute puppy.Permission: In the License example above, the woman you contacted to request use of her puppy picture might say "Go ahead, I'll email it to you. I'll be sure to say in the email you can use the picture however you want, so long as you link my website with the image with a notation I took the photo." Here you are in the clear. Just make sure you follow the terms in the email you receive with the photo.Fair Use: In most cases, you can't use pictures or sounds without permission and get away with it, but if you just quote a little text from any article or publication you find, and give the author credit, you are usually fine. For example, a few sentences from a 100 page book, put in quotes with the author's name listed is almost sure to be safe.
