When is it legal to use copyrighted material as your own
Understanding Copyright, Public Domain, and Fair Use
Whether you're a local artist composing your own music or a massive studio filming the next blockbuster all
Creators should understand how copyright public domain and fair use affect their work
Although these legal concepts can be somewhat confusing. We are here to break things down into easily understood language
Keep in mind that this video should not be taken as legal advice. Also, we'll be focusing on copyright in the United States
Copyright is the concept that original works such as writing photos or music
Belong to the people who create them and that you cannot use
Copy modify or publish that work without permission if you violate copyright
It's called copyright infringement. And you may face steep consequences such as lawsuits or criminal charges
The vast majority of movies music books photos and other types of popular media are protected by copyright
Generally those copyrights last for the lifetime of the creator plus 70 years after their death
however, the duration of a copyright can vary due to its publication date and
ever-changing copyright laws
When a work has no copyright protection, it enters the public domain
Content in the public domain can be used
modified and published without permission or restriction
This includes all works published prior to 1923 as well as works with expired copyrights
creators can also place their content in the public domain if they desire
Although you normally need permission to use copyrighted material in your own work. There is an exception called fair use
Fair use allows you to use brief portions of copyrighted works without permission for certain types of use such as criticism
teaching or news reporting
However, fair use can get tricky
for instance
You may not be able to claim fair use if you use the copyrighted work for a commercial purpose or take too much of it
When in doubt always?
Respect the creator's copyright and use as much of your own material as possible to avoid issues
although copyright public domain and fair use can seem like giant complicated subjects
You should now have a better understanding of the basics
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