Web Design - Copyright Law: What is Copyright Law?

Sections:  Introduction  |  Section 1  |  Section 2

Section One:  Part A  |  Part B  |  Part C  |  Part D

What is Copyright Law? Copyright law refers to the legal protection provided to the authors or creators of an "original work" ("Definition of a Copyright", n.d., para. 1). Works created after January 1, 1978 are automatically protected by the Copyright Act once the work is transferred from an idea into a tangible, written form. The length of time an original work is protected by copyright law varies depending on when the original work was authored or created. There are many nuances that surround copyright law and some of these nuances may eventually apply to you as a web designer. For instance, if you are hired to create a web site, the elements created for the web site's delivery are automatically protected by copyright laws; however, the employer retains the copyright protection, not you as the author/creator ("The Campus Guide," n.d.). Additionally, copyright law protects original works, but it does not protect the "ideas contained within a work" ("Copyright Law," n.d., para. 1). Therefore people can recreate ideas presented in an original work. Due to the nuanced nature of copyright law, it is important that you become knowledgeable regarding the laws that govern copyright and how they apply to you as an author/creator of an original work as well as you being the reviewer of someone else's original work. References: Copyright law in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved from: http://www.bitlaw.com/copyright/ Definition of a copyright. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.legalzoom.com/knowledge/copyright/topic/copyright-definition The campus guide to copyright compliance. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.copyright.com/Services/copyrightoncampus/basics/law.html Next

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