Bloggers Beware Copyright Law Applies To Us Too

IEE Spectrum has a light article reminding us bloggers that copyright law applies to us and the article summarizes the fair use defense as follows:

If you copy anything that is not yours, a potential copyright-infringement problem should raise a red flag. You already know you cannot copy songs, but what about text, pictures, and drawings? Copying these works and just crediting the author will not cut it. Copying only a little of the text matters in a fair-use defense, but that does not mean that copying only one picture or a single drawing from a Web site is fair use, since each picture or drawing is itself copyrighted. That’s not the end of the line, however, since fair use also requires an analysis of several other factors, including…

Why You Take It

Who You Are

What Technology You Use

Other Factors

To determine fair use, the effect on the market for or the value of the copied work are also considered.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Hat Tip: Law X.O