Getting Permission on the Web

It's always ideal to get permission from someone before using their content somewhere else, but sometimes that's not possible. Take this Tim Minchin song (chosen partially for its lack of profanity):

I do happen to know Tim Minchin's address and telephone number, but I would imagine most people don't (08 9380 4224, if you must know; and to be honest, it's his father's work number). So, if you can't contact him, how do you get permission? Well, you can't. That's where Creative Commons comes in.

So what is Tim doesn't care if I post this video? If it's copyrighted, then I still can't post it. If it has the Creative Commons logo on it instead of the Copyright one, then I can. Instead of all rights being reserved, some rights are reserved; essentially meaning that I can use content as long as I do not profit from it.

Copyright

Copyright is a way of preserving intellectual property, by registering a piece of original work and giving its owner a period of time during which it cannot be copied.

So what does that mean, in practice? Basically, if I were to copyright my definition of copyright...

'Copyright is a way of preserving intellectual property, by registering a piece of original work and giving its creator a period of time during which it cannot be copied.'

© Paul Norris 2012

...And someone were to copy it a  year later without my permission, changing minor aspects but leaving it roughly the same, then I would have my copyright statement to back me up if I were to go to court.

'Copyright is a method of keeping intellectual property safe, by registering a piece of work and giving its original author a period of time during which it cannot be taken by someone else.'

I have exclusive rights to this statement's . Seven years after I die, the content enters the public domain, meaning that anyone can use it without permission,

But what if a student were to cite my definition in an essay?

According to acclaimed excellence spokesperson Paul Norris: 'Copyright is a way of preserving intellectual property, by registering a piece of original work and giving its creator a period of time during which it cannot be copied.'

By Saul Porrin

They have cited me as being a source, and if they are using my work for educational purposes then I cannot take legal action, under the law of Fair Use.

If I were to record a song about copyright...

Copyright by Paul Norris:

If you steal my work,

Then you're a bit of a jerk

Unless I'm dead, then it's mine

So you'd better wait 'till I'm past my time

This is a song because the words rhyme

Although it has no tune

And by putting in the that line before last I ruined the rhythm

And now it doesn't rhyme anymore

So I'd better stop before I... store, gore, floor, door... whatever.

© Paul Norris 2012

...And a student were to use this in a video about copyright, then that's fine as long as the sample they use lasts less than thirty seconds. Both the lyrics and tune are my intellectual property are mine, so people cannot sing the song or use the tune without my permission.

Bear in mind that anything has the potential to be copyrighted, even if it does not bear the copyright logo. Only specific pieces of data, such as numbers, cannot be copyrighted.

So are there any problems with this? Well, yes. Firstly, it's often difficult to know whether you are in violation of copyright law. You might cite an author, only to realize that what you are writing does not qualify as fair use. Secondly, people can be prevented from using content by copyright laws when really they should be in the public domain.