| Advances in technology have made it very easy | | | | slogans, titles, short phrases or listing of |
| for all us to share, copy or change information. | | | | ingredients that do not fall under the purview of |
| However, people who are blogging or into online | | | | the copyright law. |
| publishing should be very careful about copyright | | | | Don'ts:o Just because you give credit to an |
| infringement. A small mistake can be an | | | | author, it does not mean that you are not |
| expensive one and could lead to legal | | | | violating the copyright law. You need the author's |
| complications. | | | | permission to use his or her work.o If you do not |
| Here are dos and don'ts for an online publisher | | | | see any copyright information, it does not mean |
| that can help you figure out what you can do and | | | | that you can copy it on your website or blog. Any |
| what you cannot while publishing content or | | | | articles or original written text or images made |
| images on a website or blog. | | | | after 1977 do not require a copyright notice. This |
| Dos:o You should ensure that you use just | | | | means that work published on digital or print |
| material that is available on the public domain. This | | | | media is covered by the copyright law, unless |
| means you can use anything that was written by | | | | mentioned otherwise.o Creative Commons |
| the federal government, documents produced | | | | material is not meant to be used in any way you |
| prior to 1923 and those that were produced | | | | think fit. You should check out the terms and |
| before 1977 before copyright notice came into | | | | conditions of use in the license so that you do not |
| existence.o If you find something interesting, you | | | | end up violating them. Some licenses require the |
| can quote a small portion from the text while | | | | user to give credit to the original writer, while |
| citing reference to the original text. This falls | | | | others require the user to make certain changes |
| under fair use where you can use a part of the | | | | in the document.o Even if you are not using the |
| text for the purpose of commentary, reporting | | | | article commercially, do not copy it. Make sure |
| news or even criticism.o In case you are talking | | | | you get the permission from the original writer to |
| about a company, make sure you use the | | | | use the article.o Just because you remove a |
| company's name or logo. You can use this under | | | | copyrighted article from your website or blog |
| nominative fair use if you are analyzing or | | | | does not mean that you are scot-free. You have |
| criticizing a company.o You can use facts and | | | | still committed copyright infringement and you |
| ideas as reported in articles and web pages as per | | | | could get into trouble if the author decides to |
| the copyright law.o You can use things like names, | | | | pursue the matter. |