Image via Wikipedia
With billions of web pages available on the Internet, it may be difficult to know for sure when a copyright violation is taking place. Some photos or text may be published on websites that seem to be public domain and available for anyone. However, this is not true. It is important to take caution when using anything found on another person’s website, as it could constitute copyright infringement.
There are laws in place to protect copyrighted items from being stolen. Music, photos, videos, and just about any form of media falls under the spectrum of these laws, and anyone who even possesses stolen items could be punished. Even websites that do not explicitly state that the items are copyrighted, or items that are not registered, can still be protected under the restrictions. Subjects, characters, and storylines in books and online stories are often copyrighted and cannot be used without the express consent of the original author.
Students who are performing research online must be cautious when using information found within an assignment. Even if only using the ideas presented in an article or on a personal blog, the student must always cite a source that offered any insight into the subject matter. If quoting directly, quotation marks must be used. Many colleges and universities are using online databases to check for plagiarism, and violating this can sometimes be grounds for expulsion from the school.
Stealing from another is wrong, and items posted on websites are no exception. Users must be careful not to accidentally infringe any laws in order to protect the ideas and artistic expressions of others.
