Intellectual works such as written stories, poems, recorded songs, artworks, and photographs are just some of the original creations that can obtain Copyright Protection. It implies that the authors, creators, or artists or these original works own the exclusive rights to sell, distribute, derive, or modify their material. Without the owner’s expressed permission, it is not legal for anyone to use the copyrighted work. Otherwise, the owner can sue you for violating the Copyright Law, and you may be held liable for Copyright Infringement.
Copyright Infringement is just another term for theft of ideas and piracy. To be specific, it refers to the act of stealing someone’s original creations and violating his Intellectual Property (IP). It is indeed an illegal offense, especially when the person who has copied the idea, recoups all the benefits on behalf of the original creator.
In today’s digitally transformed world, it has become ever-easier to reproduce or distribute the original works of the creators. However, the risks and consequences associated with copyright infringement won’t be worth the trouble to your finances, peace of mind, reputation, and time. Few tips to avoid copyright infringement are as follows:
Assuming that a created work has copyright protection is the safest option. Even if you don’t come across any official statement regarding the public use of that particular material, there’s still a probability that someone already owns its Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). Therefore, it is better to get written consent from the copyright owner whose work you wish to use. Put in efforts to contact the owner for making or negotiating a deal.
Some creators share their works for a price, while others grant permission, only if there is proper attribution. In case there are no attribution conditions or specific fee involved, you must go through the clause of Terms and Conditions on the official website of the copyright owner. Besides, contacting the owner for his expressed consent is usually the best possible way of preventing infringement.
Making yourself aware of the rights under ‘Fair Use’ can help you in taking advantage of the original works for non-commercial endeavors. However, it is imperative to know about a few factors that may affect your usage and its value in the market. Consulting a legal expert on copyright laws can clear your doubts as well.
If you have the right creative and artistic skills, you can also come up with your original content, rather than copying someone else’s work. On the other hand, if you have adequate financial resources, then you can pay other people to be the creator yourself.
Nowadays, there are many sources for free-to-use materials under the Public Domain. You can search for the works with ‘Creative Commons’ (CC) license (enabling the free distribution of the otherwise copyrighted work), which can be commercially viable.
In the dynamic and competitive landscape of the Indian business world, establishing a strong brand…
OpenAI, the organization behind cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, has popularized the term 'GPT' (Generative Pre-trained…
When it comes to forming an Intellectual Property (IP) strategy, high-quality, accurate, and relevant data play an…
Trademarks are signs, logos, symbols, words, phrases, designs, or combinations of these, which identify a…
The Trademark Rights have clearly explained the essentials and attributes of a trademark. A trademark exists in…
Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) and Barcodes use the underlying technology s QR codes. A…