How to Avoid Copyright Violations
written by: Joli Ballew•edited by: Michele McDonough•updated: 5/11/2010
There are several ways to avoid infringing on someone else’s copyrights. Before assuming that another person's work is free for you to choose, use these steps to make sure you're not committing any copyright violations.
Avoid Copyright Violations
There are 7 steps you can take to avoid copyright violations:
1. Look for the Copyright Symbol
If you see a copyright symbol on a work, don’t copy the work, use the work on your Web site, reproduce the work, or imply any part of the work is your own. The work is most likely registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and is protected.
2. Understand Fair Use
You can legally use copyrighted material if you follow fair use guidelines. Fair use allows you to reproduce part of the work for the purpose of parody, comment, or criticism. For instance, you could use a quote from a movie to create a parody skit on a television show. The U.S. Copyright Office has the information you need regarding fair use and copyright law.
3. Use Legal Download Options
When downloading content from the Internet, use the legal download option. You can often download a trial version or free version of a product. Avoid downloading software or other data from file-sharing web sites like BitTorrent or KaZaA.