“Just pull it off the internet!” Said no good lawyer…ever

Need a graphic of fireworks for a party invite? Looking for a cartoon for a blog? It’s tempting to just use your favorite search engine and copy one of the internet… but please DON’T (at least not until after you read this article!). Copyright law is alive and well – and applies to items on the internet to the same extent that it applies to the books at the library. We all know that copying someone else’s work is illegal; that work includes art, photos, books, movies, songs and more.  Recent law suits have highlighted the wrongful use of pieces of songs, with courts reiterating that any original work of authorship (so long as it is expressed in a tangible way) is protected.  The internet IS a fixed medium, and works that are found on the internet are still subject to protection. That fireworks graphic? Well, it was created by someone and if you want to use it, you need to have permission. At this point I suspect some readers are thinking “wait! This is fair use. I won’t make any money on that party invitation so I can use the artwork”. Actually, not true… but don’t feel bad about being wrong, most people (including lawyers) are confused by the concept of “fair…