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Copyright Defined
"Copyright" is a protection that covers published and unpublished literary, scientific, and artistic works, whatever the form of expression, provided such works are fixed in a tangible or material form. This means that if you can see it, hear it, and/or touch it-- it is protected. Examples of these works include an essay, play, song, midi, graphic image (including Web graphics, photos, logos, and other digital art), writing, text, HTML, JavaScripts, or other material that can be set on paper, recorded on tape, or saved to a hard drive. Copyright does not usually extend to an idea, procedure, process, method, system, discovery, name, or title.
 

Copyright laws grant the creator/author the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display the work publicly as well as to prepare derivative works. "Exclusive" means only the creator/author of such work has the legal right to use the work. Written permission must be obtained from the copyright holder before works may be used. These works must then be appropriately referenced in accordance to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
 

If you have any doubt that a work is copyrighted, get permission or don't use it!

Note: The terms "Internet" and "public domain" are not synonymous. Any work published on the Internet does NOT automatically place it in the public domain. Works available in the public domain do not have any copyright limitations and may be used freely.
Last Updated:08/05/2007