Why is copyright law important when using the internet for research?

Answer 1

Copyright on the internet is quite similar to copyright in the off-line world. If an author publishes an original expression - writing, a photograph, a video, a music-clip online, graphics, he or she owns the copyright to such creation, exactly as the same person would have benefited from a copyright if the piece were published in a magazine, a radio show, etc. Protection occurs automatically (meaning, the creator acquires a copyright immediately once he or she "fixes" the work in the medium used (i.e., the Internet!)

It's a good idea to place the ©symbol with a year of copyright under the creation on the Webpage where it is displayed so as to notify users that the work is copyrighted, though, not doing so does not mean that the author/creator has relinquished his copyright...

One must realize that on the Internet, materials are a lot easier to copy or "lift" and therefore, it might be more difficult to enforce a copyright with respect to online information that is proprietary. However, the laws that apply to works exisiting in the real world will continue to apply to the digital works in cyberspace.

Answer 2

because the copyright gives the author of a certain book or material full authority and ownership in it. negligence to the copyright act is punishable by the law.

The internet makes copyright infringement so easy, that sometimes you don't even know you're doing it. If you're uploading, downloading, copying, or pasting content that is not entirely your own original work, or for which you don't have a license from the copyright holder or an exemption in the law, you're violating the creators' rights, as well as federal law.

Answer 3

Virtually anything you encounter online is protected by copyright; this page, for example, you'll see is noted at the bottom Copyright [current year] Answers Corporation.

The law applies to the internet in much the same way as it does to physical or broadcast media: specific, limited unlicensed copying is allowed (as "fair use"), but most acts require permission from the copyright holder.

Answer 4

The most fundamental problem is that the internet is a global entity that pays little attention to national boundaries and as yet there is no corresponding global standardization of intellectual property laws.

Answer 5

When you're using a physical book for research, it's pretty easy to remember not to copy it word for word: you're not going to take the time to transcribe a whole paragraph from the Encyclopedia Britannica. But when you're doing research online, it's very easy--and somewhat tempting--to copy and paste from a single source, rather than reading a variety of sources, synthesizing and distilling the information, and expressing it in a new way. This is not only a violation of copyright, it's also plagiarism, both of which are frowned upon not only in educational environments, but in the business world as well.

Answer 6

If you are creating new works, copyright is designed to protect you from having others use your works without permission. If you are using works, working within copyright gives you more legitimacy, and reduces the chances of being sued.

Answer 7

Copyright laws cover creative work on the internet the same way they cover creative works offline: the creator of a work of sufficient originality automatically has the exclusive right to copy, alter, distribute, or perform/display the work, or authorize others to do so, for a limited time.

The reason it feels extra oppressive online is that so much of our activities involve copying and distributing works easily, perfectly, cheaply, and without a second thought.

Answer 8

Copyright laws apply to the internet. Basically you must not publish content or images that were created by someone else unless you have their permission.