posted on Thursday, December 30, 2004 8:06 AM
by
David Forstrom
Debunking Copyright's Myths
The Corporate Engagement gang point to a great article today on copyright infringement
by Kathy Biehl over at LLRX.com. Biehl, an attorney who advises
on copyright protection and use, does a great job addressing the many
copyright myths that exist in today's online world.
One of the myths she brings up is the widely used, yet
misunderstood, concept of "public domain." While I would suggest
that every practicioner read the entire article, this section on public
domain is a must-read.
And here's the million dollar question. Is it okay to use
material if it doesn't have a copyright notice? According to
Biehl, the answer is no. No notice is required for works published
since 1978 - meaning that you must request permission to use anything
that is less than 25 years old, regardless of whether or not it has a
copyright notice.
Consider yourselves warned.