Week 4 EOC: Copyrights

The definition of a copyright from Merriam-Webster says, “The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work).” People use copyrights to protect their intellectual property from being stolen and used by others. Upon copyright infringement, the entity holding the copyright can take action against the offending party. These actions include (as listed on www.copyright.gov website): Impounding and disposition of infringing articles, which means they will take away the molds, pictures, or any method that is being used to in violation of the copyright owner. They are also allowed to collect any damages and profits from the infringer. These include the legal costs and fees. 

According to Regina Paul on Yahoo Voices (http://voices.yahoo.com/how-protect-digital-art-online-thieves-253355.html), there are a few things to add to your property to protect it. You must put a watermark on it. She says, “A watermark is a transparent mark that you can put across your images.” Also, you can create a logo. “While anyone can create a logo, and it is not a guarantee this will deter an online art thief, the thief might think twice about stealing an image with a logo if they think that as a business you may the resources to pursue a(n)… (sic) thief.” You need to add a copyright signature. “An example would be: © 2007 by Regina Paul. Adding this to your pictures is one way to let the art thieves of the online world know your work is copyrighted.” You can add the words “All Rights Reserved.” "Adding the words All Rights Reserved to your copyright signature is letting the world know that only you have the right to post or use your artwork unless you give someone permission in writing.”

A recent lawsuit found online at the Salt Lake City Tribune (http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57034653-78/video-goblin-hall-rock.html.csp) details a case of a video that the newspaper posted to YouTube of two men pushing over a rock formation at the Goblin Valley State Park was taken down by one of the men in the video using the copyright law. Apparently, YouTube told the newspaper that they can file a counter claim. “YouTube sent The Salt Lake Tribune a message Wednesday about the copyright claim and offering tips on filing a counter claim. Both claims and counter claims go through the site’s copyright page.”