copy right and fair use FAQ's

1. What is copyright? It means that as the author of what you created you can make or distribute copies, and perform or display your work. You can also give others permission to do any of them.

2. Why should I care about copyright? Because copyright prevents people from copying your work or doing things you don't approve of to it.

3. Which works are protected by copyright? Literary works, musical works, dramatic works, pantomimes and choreographic works, pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works, motion pictures and other audiovisual works, sound recordings, and architectural work.

4.  Which works are not protected by copyright? Ideas, processes, principles, devices, concepts, discoveries, names, titles, slogans, improvised speech or performance, calendars, standard rulers, and works by the US government.

5. Who owns the copyright in a work? It belongs to the owner and only the owner can claim a copyright.

6. What is copyright infringement? When someone exploits any of the exclusive rights of the thing that is copyrighted without the owners permission.

7. When do I need permission to copy? If its anybody else work you need to get there permission.

8. How do I obtain copyright protection? All you have to do is create something copyrightable. Publication or registration with the copyright office is required today.

9. When and how do I register a copyright? You register your work any time before the term of copyright expires, you register with the Copyright Office.

10. How long does copyright protection last? It lasts from the time it is registered and goes about 70 years after the authors death.

11. How do copyright laws relate to your work in Digital Media? Give specific examples. Copyright relates to Digital Media in a few ways like if we are assigned to do a project in Photoshop, like maybe a baseball card. But instead of actually taking time to do the project you just get a picture of a baseball card off of Google, not knowing what the consequences are. But now that we have learned what it is we know the consequences and know not to do it.