Internet Copyright Laws and Why They Don't Always Work

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Laws and regulations are an integral part of modern society, and they have been with us for a very long time, many centuries to be exact, giving us a guide to follow and conventions to respect. Well, the Internet has also become an integral part of modern society, and it's no wonder that many countries all around the world are trying to create Internet or Cyber laws that will govern everything we do online. One of the most important Internet laws is in fact the Internet Copyright Law, and here will be discussed how it works in some detail.

The US Internet Copyright Law
Everything created on the Internet after the date of April 1 1989 is protected under the American Internet Copyright Law. This can in many cases probably be difficult to understand, but the fact is that if you come from the USA, and you have created something and uploaded it on the World Wide Web is the last 20 years or so, this work of your is protected, and it cannot be stolen by anybody. However, this is true only in theory.

The Problems with the Internet Copyright Law
Yes, it is true that you hold all rights to your work as the original author ever since your work has seen the light of the Internet day. Yes, it is also true that you have the right to take action if someone happens to steal your original work from the Web. However, the problem arises when there is more than one country involved in this process. Namely, if you are an American, and your work has been illegally downloaded by a person from let's say Albania, there's probably nothing you'll be able to do about it. The reason for this is the fact that most countries don't have any rules or regulations regarding the Internet, so even though you might know exactly who stole your work, in many cases you will not be able to act on this fact.

Another important issue related to the Internet Copyright Law is the fact that you often cannot know who violated the law, meaning that there are ways to steal your work from the Internet without you knowing who was actually responsible. For example, modern technology can, by tracing IP addresses, tell you where the person who stole your work was, but can never tell you exactly who this person is.

The Internet Copyright Law and Plagiarism
Plagiarism is another interesting subject related to the Internet Copyright Law, as in many cases it cannot be proven. For example, if you have taken a photograph and uploaded it to the Web, and if someone took this photo without crediting you as the original author, then you can make this person remove the photo, or even sue the person. However, if you have written an original article, for instance, and uploaded it on the Internet, you cannot do anything if someone read your article and steals the idea, even though plagiarism is actually defined as using someone else's words, quotes or even ideas as their own.

You can read more Internet Articles at the ISP 1 Internet blog:

http://isp1.us/blog/

View the original article here

Cyber Law - Important Points You Should Always Keep In Mind

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Having practice internet law for well over 10 years, I've come to realize I'm not getting any younger. Fortunately, the passage of time has also brought at least some wisdom when it comes to understanding where many sites go wrong from a legal perspective. In this article, let's take a look at a few of the common ones in the hope that you don't run afoul of them.

Images and Content

Oh, the mighty temptation. The web has made everything so easy, perhaps too easy in many circumstances. The fact that you can highlight something, copy it and then paste it onto your site does not mean you should. Most people know about copyright if only because they received a nasty letter for downloading their favorite music for free. Well, it is a nasty area and one you can really get into trouble with. If you use someone's image without permission, then the statutory damages under the law can be as high as $70,000 an image. Since nobody copies just one image, the numbers can grow quickly. There are plenty of free content sites out there, so don't make this mistake.

Email Agreements

Nothing drives me nuts more than email agreements. This is the digital version of the handshake agreement in the brick n' mortar world. Two parties negotiate out a deal by passing emails back and forth or instant messaging. They then go into business together. Something changes with the search engines, product or whatever and suddenly they have very differing views on how things should work. A dispute arises. Guess what? The terms you discussed via email or chatting don't mean anything. Instead, you end up in court with a 60 year old judge who can barely turn on his computer deciding how to distribute the content of your site. It usually ends in tears, so don't make this mistake. Get everything in a contract up front. If the other party doesn't want to put it in writing, that should tell you something!

Burning Bridges

I have to admit I have never seen a field where more people burn bridges than the online business industry. While it can sometimes become a legal issue, it is mostly a practical one. Are you nuts? Why do this? There is an old saying that you should be nice to the people you pass when climbing up the business ladder because you'll be seeing them again when you are on your way back down. A lot of people are learning this now given the horrors of the Great Recession. Just because you are on the web, you shouldn't go with a scorched earth policy. Leaving people with a bad impression can come back to haunt you in the future...a future where you might just need a break or a job.

The internet has created an entirely new medium for business. All and all, the digital revolution has been pretty amazing. You should partake of it. Just make sure you don't leave yourself open to legal or practical problems.

Richard A. Chapo is an internet law attorney with SanDiegoBusinessLawFirm.com.

View the original article here