Copyright Protection What is...Copyright protection?

[icemarle 0]

Nice, and I thought they expired after the year stated, I guess I was wrong. I'm not into researching about those copyright stuff, but at least I have a clue. (Just in case) Thanks for telling! Now, I can tell them to keep off my created graphics and text. But, just a question. If someone takes a copyrighted material, say from my site, and the culprit won't comply, what should I do? Say I don't live in the place where the culprit is. Ever since I was a gamer, I read several game walkthroughs, and they kept talking about sites that claim their copyrighted material for their own. They get pissed off, but nothing seems to happen to the culprit. The site still stands to this day. With these things happening, I've been a bit cautious about posting copyrighted material. I just wonder...

[BuffaloHelp 24]

Legally, you cannot do anything when the other party does not comply. At least when a copyright was proclaimed or applied, it is only protected within the country you applied in. And any amount of money you spend on lawyers to get your copyright enforced would be waste of your money--since there isn't a set international law to enforce copyrights. Especially with net materials--there isn't a good lawyer who can prosecute another for copyright infringement as of yet. You know, if there are any aspiring lawyers out there, specializing yourself as a international internet copyright can be some lucrative business.I'm going to go off topic here but follow this idea. You recall many stories about Singapore government caning other country?s citizens? Do you recall one American who got the boot? And the government of US couldn't do anything to stop it? Well because when you are in the country you respect and observe THAT country's law.So, getting back, if the country you are fighting for your copyrights does not support the same enforcements as your country, there's simply nothing you can do. Additional note: I've read on the thread that you do not need to apply for copyright. That is true. In a perfect world, my word would be good enough and everyone would respect it. But this world isn't perfect. The only way to have your material to be protected and enforced under the law is getting your copyright according to the law. Otherwise, it becomes he said and she said tug of war.

[canpolitics 0]

BuffaloHELP, you post about copyright registration only being valid within the country you apply for it in is not quite accurate. Most countries have copyright agreements which means that a copyright in the UK is just as valid in the USA as in the UK. While this is not a truely international law it is close, especially when it is websites whe are talking about. As for your comment about the the need to apply, you are correct on that one, you do not NEED to apply, but if you truely want to be able to do anything about it it does need to be registered.There is an urban legend that if you send yourself a copy of the material you want copyrighted through registered mail you will guarantee your copy is protected. This is NOT the case, it may be considered by the courts, but not likely, it would still be a case of your word against thiers, envelopes can be tampered with, alls I would have to do is send myself an empty envelope then when a new popular book came out just type it out verbatim and steam open the envelope and put the copy within it and claim that I mailed a copy of the manuscript to the author to have them review it to see if it was any good. icemarle, the only thing you can do is write the culprit and tell them to remove the copyrighted material and hope they listened, unless it is registered and the culprit lives within your coutry or somewhere that has a copyright agreement with your country there is not much you can do, and it won't likely be worth the legal fees involved.Saint_Michael, just a technical point here, you cannot patent a website, you can only copyright it. There is a difference, but like I said it was only a technical comment, not really that important a point, your post is still valid.

[BuffaloHelp 24]

BuffaloHELP, you post about copyright registration only being valid within the country you apply for it in is not quite accurate. Most countries have copyright agreements which means that a copyright in the UK is just as valid in the USA as in the UK. While this is not a truely international law it is close, especially when it is websites whe are talking about.

162270[/snapback]

I should have clarified my statement. If, for example, your copyrighted material in the United States is somehow found itself being used in the United Kingdom without a prior permission. The author of the said copyrighted material has to travel to the United Kingdom to file for court restraint and apply applicable copyright protection to have the United Kingdom's court to issue cease and decease from further usage. Therefore, the method in which this author had to travel the great lengths of trouble isn't quite international. Simply, in order to protect your copyrighted material, you have to prosecute the culprit AT the culprit's country. It's not like you can walk up to your local municipal office and files the claim, and that claim would reach all the way to the United Kingdom and a judge rules in favor of the plaintiff. Right? Thus, a copyright protection is not (and I use that term loosely) internationally sanctioned.

[icemarle 0]

I see, so that's how it all is! Sigh, law is so confusing and complex. The hard part is enforcing law in the internet, because first of all, everyone knows that no one owns it or has control over what is being shown, or sent. I guess posting copyright material and telling them to keep off is no guarantee. I'd best be on guard.

[slatterly 0]

In response to the 'copyright and the internet' issue, I believe if someone copies your work online and does not remove it after you notify them, you can go to their server and notify them. No one wants a plaigarist on their servers, so action will usually be taken.

HTML Goodies has some things to say about copyright, mostly the same sorts of things mentioned here. That's where I got the above information, too.)

[Artanis 0]

Hmm, thats really interesting. When I play Sc I see ? Blizzard Entertaintment 1994-1998" and I'm like....WOW! SC isn't copyrighted anymore? Lets steal it! Thanks for clearing that up for me/us . Oh, and, it's still valid till after 50 year old the authors death. So, if I copyright my site, die, and 50 years later someone can steal whatever they want off of it without it being illegal, as long as someone else doesn't claim responsibility? Wow, that's interesting.

157640[/snapback]

lol samething... i always thought wow bw is Copyright 1994-1998.. hmm thats mean i could edit around and stuff lol nice information man

[incenseman 0]

I went and did a little research on copyright protection for you guys..

 

Copyright protection is a tangible material that is protected by a copyright. Anything can be copyrighted that you can view, hear, if it can be saved on your computer, or anything else that is a way of saving. Copyright Protection begins when something is created in tangible form. Once you have your material written down or saved somewhere, it is copyrighted, but you can't sue them unless you register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. Even if your copyright isn't registered, you can still assert a copyright claim as the author.

 

When you see a "Š Copyright 2004, 2005 Chris Wilson", it doesn't mean that the copyright expires in 2005. What it means it that the material was created in 2004 and then edited in 2005. A copyright lasts until 50 years after the death of the original author.

 

Taking anyone's work from the internet is illegal! If you see a background that you like, or part of someone's source that you'd like to use, that's illegal! That material is copyrighted. There are three things that aren't illegal when taking things: if it has been created by the federal government,  if the copyright has been abondoned by the holder, and if the copyright has expired.

 

If you have downloaded a free item from a website, you still have to comply with the owner's terms and or conditions. If it says that you must give them credit, you must give them credit, or else you're commiting copyright infringment. If the owner says you cannot edit it, you can't edit it legally.

 

You cannot take someone's work and translate it into a different language and then call it your own either.The Bern Convention says:  You have to have the author's permission to translate it into a different language.

 

I'd like to thank http://www.whatiscopyright.org/ for educating myself and others on the copyrighting experience. If I hadn't given credit to that website, I would be commiting plagarism from taking their ideas and paraphrasing them.

157637[/snapback]

Nice work on the reseach! There is also "fair use" and that means that a reasonable use of limited amouts of some copyrighted material without permission from the orignal author is legal. Also, antyhing that is a direct quote from a history book or US Government work is usable without permission. It is just important to remember that it is bad form to use the work of others without crediting them for there efforts, copyright or no copyright.

[Saint_Michael 3]

again unless you patent your design you SOL and paten html coding itself you have no way you can make the person take your stuff off.speaking of that i say about 70-80 on internet sites have copies from one person or another, their are no orginal designs anymore.

[heavensounds 0]

Well copyright protection in its purest form means that you can protect somethin you invent from other people to use it without your permission. This invention or ownage can be material or mental and there are certain policies with which you can protect those. It is different in different countires, because none of them has the same policies and if one is not in some sort of connection with others than your product will be protected in lets say US but in my country (Slovenia) it won't be...So you have to make sure that you protect you work in all of the countries which can be a bit expensive so it is up to you to decide...

[canpolitics 0]

Well copyright protection in its purest form means that you can protect somethin you invent from other people to use it without your permission. This invention or ownage can be material or mental and there are certain policies with which you can protect those. It is different in different countires, because none of them has the same policies and if one is not in some sort of connection with others than your product will be protected in lets say US but in my country (Slovenia) it won't be...So you have to make sure that you protect you work in all of the countries which can be a bit expensive so it is up to you to decide...

163368[/snapback]

Not exactly, you cannot copyright physical items, only intelectual property. If you create an item you can patent it, but you wouldn't copyright an invention.

 

Also works copyrighted in the US are protected in Slovenia under Slovenian copyright regulations through the World Trade Organization.

[Static_Fury 0]

WOW....im glad i read this, I have had a site just for my poetry, but i took it down when i seen a few of them posted else where, they called my bluff and said i could do nothing about it. If wish i would haveknown this befor i, i would have reported them to the right authorities.

[Adamrosso 0]

Awesome topic. So for example: I create a invention that allows humans to live forever. I forget to use it on myself and die. 50 years later someone just takes it and it's he's!?!? That's really stupid. That mean when Bill Gates die's i will say Microsoft is mine

[macdre 0]

Wow i didn't know this now i am going to be waiting to see what i can get my hands on so i can own.... hahahahaha thanks for the info!!!

[rejected 0]

That mean when Bill Gates die's i will say Microsoft is mine

171385[/snapback]

Not exactly, you can pass on the copyright to other people through your will.