The information below is taken from Boardwatch Magazine, Vol. IX, Issue 5, May 1995.

"Copyright protects expression. The Copyright Act of 1976 states that the items of expression can include literary, graphic, dramatic, and musical works; pantomimes and choreography; pictorial, and sculptural works; audio-visual works; sound recordings; and architectural works. An original expression is eligible for copyright protection as soon as it is fixed in a tangible form.

Consequently, almost any original expression that is fixed in a tangible form is protected AS SOON AS IT IS eXPReSSeD. For example, a graphic created in Corel is protected as soon as the file is saved to disk. My Web page was protected as soon as I stopped typing and saved the .html file. As you can see, most of the items that you are likely to encounter on the net are eligible for copyright protection, including the text of web pages, ASCII text documents, contents of email and Usenet messages, sound files, graphics files, executable computer programs and computer program listings.

Once I have put the following statement on my page I LeGALLY am protected under the copyright act.

Copyright^© 1997 John Smith
All Rights Reserved

Criminal Liability for Copyright Infringement:

In the first use of the criminal copyright statute against a web page owner, Richard Kenadek, sysop of "Davey Jones Locker", was sentenced to 24 months probation and six months home confinement. He was also required to forfeit all computer equipment related to the operation of the web page. The case against Mr. Kenadek was instigated by SPA, who monitored the web page for four months collecting evidence of distribution of copyrighted programs and graphics without permission of the publishers."

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This page created:
before
Fri, 25.Oct.2002

Last updated:
22:46, Sat, 28.Jan.2012