Internet Public Domain
One argument used by many website owners is that works on the internet fall under “public domain,” a label given to something that is considered to be owned by everyone, not just one person or business. However, under the law, the technology that makes the internet work is public domain, but people or businesses do own the servers, computers, domains and IP addresses that make the internet what it is today. In addition, the content placed on a website is not public domain, but is owned by the person who owns the website, or the person who wrote the article or took the photo.
Ease of Access
Another problem writers and artists find on the internet is that it is easy for others to copy information from one site to another. A blog post on a business website can be cut and pasted into another web editor and used by a different website owner who passes it off as his own work. A photo taken by a professional photographer can be cut and pasted for use as a company logo in another country with no royalty paid to the photographer. For many artists and writers, their livelihood is dependent on the ability to sell articles, photos or works of art, and when they are taken and used elsewhere, it is literally keeping them from making money.
Once Created it is Covered
As soon as a writer creates a written work, a photographer snaps a photo or a painter creates a new watercolor, that creation becomes copyrighted. The law does not require the creator to label it with the easily identifiable (c), although this is one way to protect works online. An author or artist may agree to allow someone to post their work elsewhere and still retain the copyright, but they still own the rights to the document or artwork. One suggestion for those who wish to use someone else’s work found online is to add a link to that website rather than removing the entire document. This is not copyright infringement and most authors or artists welcome links in order to promote their works.
Many large companies are now using software to search for stolen works, such as photos and blog posts. In addition, many are seeking legal action from those who commit copyright infringement. Submitdmca.com and other protection resources are a good way to notify others that they have infringed on copyright laws and to learn more about legal options should your work be taken without your permission.