Only a click away-copyright infringement on the WWW

To help technical communicators improve their understanding of copyright issues, the article: (1) provides a brief review of the United States´ and Canadian copyright laws; (2) begins to explore the complexities of copyright issues and the World Wide Web (WWW); (3) explains the basic processes used to copyright communication products; and (4) provides a brief common sense approach to avoiding copyright violations. Copyright laws provide for the intellectual rights of authors. For works to be copyrighted, they must be original, have a trace of creative input, and be fixed in a tangible medium. Prudent professional communicators will not risk the potential of violating copyright laws and becoming involved in lengthy and costly litigation. They will either: (1) create or have created original artwork, photographs, and text for their respective Web sites; (2) obtain appropriate permissions from the copyright holders of the original works; (3) read and use works under the restrictions of software licenses; or (4) use works in the public domain