Copyright

It is sometimes assumed that because something appears on the web, or is on a CD-ROM, it can be freely used. This is usually not the case. The Web is covered by Copyright, just as printed matter is, and images, or text, found there cannot be reproduced without permission. Some CD-ROMs give a blanket permission for all the images found on them. It is generally alright to use Clip Art distributed as part of a software package, but any acknowledgement of source must appear when the image is re-used.

Using someone's work without permission and acknowledgment is theft and is subject to legal penalties. However, it can be difficult to enforce the law in this regard. The concept of fair use permits the use of another person's work in certain circumstances.

The tests for fair use are:

• Is the work being used for profit or for nonprofit use? Fair use may apply if no profit is being made.
• Is the work creative or factual? Facual work is more likely to be permitted than creative. This is particularly important when it comes to images, which are by definition creative.
• How much of the copyrighted work has been used? It may be acceptable to use an image and substantially change it to create an new work.
• What impact does the image have on the economic value of the work?

The above list shows that using images in web pages can be the problematic. It is always safest to use images which you have created yourself, or which are unquestionably in the public domain.

It is equally important to be careful with the use of text