Copyright Issues
Very briefly, copyright gives the author of a work the right...
- ...to reproduce the work.
- ...to permit copies to be made by others.
- ...to prepare derivative works.
- ...to display the copyrighted work publicly.
For complete information, see the list of web sites with useful copyright reference information below.
Please Respect Copyright on the Web!
There are many different opinions about copyright issues and information found on the Internet. Many of them aren't based on fact or on the actual copyright laws which are in place, but rather on personal interpretation of what a copyright is. Many times this personal interpretation is one that benefits the person whose opinion it is, instead of the person who holds the copyright. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with copyright laws and be sure to respect the copyright of web site owners as you visit their pages. The following are some basic items to keep in mind while you surf. Each of these items can be found at any of the following web sites with full explanations and answers to many other related questions. Most of all, remember that the things you find on the web - text, graphics, source code - aren't public domain simply because they are there, easily available to you via your computer. They are put on the web in good faith by the owners of the web site. Ask a web site owner for per mission to copy articles, files or graphics BEFORE you do so, unless permission is already given on the site.
- All works are covered by a copyright upon creation—it is not necessary to display a copyright symbol or statement in order to maintain a copyright on your work.
- Web pages are protected by a copyright. Information contained on those web pages and all original information that is not in the public domain is protected by copyright. A compilation of works, including a set of links arranged into a compilation, IS protected by copyright.
- URLs to web sites are not under copyright protection by themselves because they are a fact, just as telephone numbers are. However, a link is not the same as a URL:
URL + HTML code + descriptive text = A Link - Graphics and other multimedia on a site are also protected by a copyright, unless they are clearly marked as public domain.
- Source code for a web page is copyright protected. Just because you CAN copy it, doesn't mean that you SHOULD copy it. Doing so would constitute a copyright violation.
Cyndi's List's Copyright
The entirety of Cyndi's List is fully protected under copyright as an original compilation work. The graphics for the site were created by and for Cyndi Ingle as a unique and identifying trademark for the web site and are not available for use by anyone other than the owner.
The HTML source code, all original text and the original graphics on Cyndi's List have all been registered with the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress, registration number TXu 787-268.
