Fair use or fair dealing clauses in copyright laws allow certain limited unlicensed uses, for purposes such as education and critique.
Infringement is the use, without permission, of copyrighted material that does not fall under a "fair use" or other exception to copyright law,
If there is no "fair use" exception the only way to legally use copyrighted material is to obtain permision from the rights holder.
Downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal and constitutes copyright infringement.
To determine if material posted online is copyrighted, look for a copyright symbol (), the word "copyright," or the phrase "all rights reserved." Additionally, check for any statements or disclaimers indicating the material is protected by copyright law. You can also search for the material in copyright databases or contact the creator for permission to use it.
If your use is not covered by a limitation, defense, or exception in the law, you need permission from the copyright holder. Typically permission is requested in writing, and is specific to the immediate need.
Ask the copyright holder for permission.
Generally when public domain material is reissued, a copyright will be registered for any new material, such as annotation, compilation, etc.
You just did! The design of this webpage is copyrighted and the words you are reading at this moment are copyrighted. However, you have a LICENSE to download them. If you do NOT have a license or other lawful excuse to download copyrighted material, then it would be illegal to do it.
Yes, it is illegal to post copyrighted material on social media platforms without permission from the copyright holder.
There are dozens of websites hosting lyrics of copyrighted material. Occasionally one will be taken down for copyright violations, but there are many more to fill the void.
Copyright means that the book or writing or song belongs to the copyright holder. Anyone using or posting the copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder can be held to pay for the unauthorized use of the material. George Harrison had to pay because My Sweet Lord had the same melody as She Is So Fine. Using copyrighted material can lead to fines, loss of a job, and dismissal from school.
If you download this answer, it is not copyrighted. If you send a letter to a newspaper, it is not copyrighted. You knew their rules and intended it for their publication. If you copied a page out of a copyrighted book and sent it to someone else, you sent copyrighted material. If you draw a picture and do not sign it, you give the person receiving it permission to copy it. If you sign it, it becomes copyrighted. The law is complicated.Downloading a work protected by copyright is copyright infringement unless you have a license.____________________________________________________________________Yes. The law is complicated. That is why copyright lawyers make good money!