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Internet is an awe-inspiring collection of imagery and prose that appears
to be limited only by a web master's imagination. But it can be downright
intimidating for the novice page builder who doesn't have much experience
creating his or her own graphics. In fact, most of those who build
a personal site for the first time donut even own a graphic program.
Besides, if they've never built a page, and therefore have never required
a program to create an image for a web page, how in the world would they
know what program to buy? Fortunately, there are literally thousands
of web sites offering free graphics to help the beginner with their initial
foray into the world of web site design. Unfortunately, however,
in their early enthusiasm with downloading the free material, the distinction
between what is free and what is not begins to blur for the beginner.
And through no real desire or intention to steal anyone's work, they often
wind up using items that are not authorized.
There are many web sites
devoted exclusively to the dissemination of data on what is copyright and
what is not. You could spend all of your time reading about the legal
issues and never get around to putting any pages up on the Internet for
fear of someone swooping down upon you and ordering your site be removed.
First of all, get that idea out of your head. Use the linkware graphics,
follow the Terms Of Use that go with those graphics, and you'll not find
yourself in any hot water. If you come across something that you
would like to use, and you're not 100% positive that it's okay for you
to use, then contact the owner of the image, music, or writings.
Request permission, explaining why you want to avail yourself of their
work, and provide a link to the page so that they can view the finished
product. If for any reason the artist declines your request, remove
the item(s) immediately. Most artists are only too happy to allow
you to use their work, as long as you have asked and then clearly indicated
on your page where it came from and who created it. If you don't
abide by the owner's rules, you are asking for trouble. Don't be
misled by friends and relatives who tell you not to worry about such things
with phrases like “It's only a personal web site” or “Only your friends
are going to see the pages”. As difficult as it can be to get on
the search engines, your little page about African tree frogs will eventually
wind up listed in one of them, and you don't need the embarrassment of
being branded a thief when all you wanted to do was see if you could even
build a site in the first place.
If you are truly one of those
unscrupulous persons who erroneously believe that everything on the Internet
falls under public domain and you just plain don't care what others think,
then you've wasted your time reading this page. The information contained
herein is for those genuinely interested in starting out right while pursuing
a new hobby. It is wise to remember that the Internet is not quite
as anonymous as you may think … |
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Without
a doubt, the absolute best explanation regarding the use of graphics, the
correct way to acknowledge the creator, and the importance of doing so
on the same page that the copyrighted work appears. The site is no
longer on-line, but I feel the ideas are still valid today and the original
premise should be preserved. Thanks to the INTERNET
ARCHIVE, I was able to recover the text and
have re-printed it HERE. |
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R.I.G.H.T.S.
- acronym for Redistribution In Graphics Has To Stop. Site has an
extensive glossary dealing with more than just graphics issues. |
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10
Big Myths About Copyright Explained -- "Under the Berne Copyright Convention,
which almost all major nations have signed, every creative work is copyrighted
the moment it is fixed in tangible form. No notice is necessary, though
it helps legal cases. No registration is necessary, though it's needed
later to sue. The copyright lasts until 50 years after the author dies."
-- Brad Templeton. Mr. Templeton explains, in plain English, common
misconceptions about copyright. |
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Sponsored
by Linda Gruber of Novel Art, this page provides a unique perspective on
all of the above. She presents both views - that of the artist and
of the web site owner. There is an interesting email dialogue between
Linda and one person who, in the beginning, just didn't understand what
all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, as of September 2008, the
site is no longer on-line. |
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For
the legally inclined Cornell Law School has published the complete articles
of the BERNE CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF LITERARY AND ARTISTIC WORKS
(Paris Text 1971) on its Legal Information Institute web site. |
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| Bandwidth
theft is still a huge problem, and likely responsible for the demise of
some truly beautiful web sites due the astronomical costs associated when
a site exceeds its allocated share. A simple, easy to understand
explanation is available on JAMES
S HUGGINS' REFRIGERATOR DOOR: WHAT IS BANDWIDTH?
page. He is
also the host of Web Guard, an alliance of web authors united in the effort
to reduce this nefarious practice. |
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