GD212 Copyright Issues
Week 2

This week we'll get an overview of "content law" (also called "intellectual property law") from Chapter 1 of Warda, and we'll study the problem of protecting your product or company name.

What is a Copyright?

Unless noted, the subjects in the headings listed below are briefly covered in Chapter 1 and Appendix D of How to Register Your Own Copyright by Mark Warda. This week it is strongly suggested that you surf the U.S. Copyright website to see how much information is there.

Legal Rights

Prerequisite: Look up the meaning of "monopoly":


Could two very similar works both be copyrighted?


Write and memorize the 5 Exclusive Legal Rights of Copyright:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Then (with the help of Adobe Acrobat) go to "Copyright Basics" from the US Copyright Office to find a sixth legal right for sound recordings:
6)

License and Limits (Limitation on Rights)

Name some examples of when is it necessary and legal to copy someone's work without permission:
1)

2)

3)

When would you want someone to make a lot of copies of your work?

Creating Rights

What does "fixed in a medium" mean?

Protecting Your Rights

In this legal context, what does "distribute" mean?

The Importance of March 1, 1989

What is the argument for putting a copyright notice on your artwork?

The Deposit of Copies with the Copyright Office

Read Warda’s Appendix D. (Disregard all fee amounts; they are out-of-date.)
What is "identifying material instead of copies"? (p. 94)


How will you deposit a copy of your:
a)life-size, full-length charcoal portrait?


b)color CD cover with illustration, created in Fractal Painter?


c)color illustration created in acrylic paint?


Do you have to add a copyright notice to the deposit copy of each?

Activities

Quiz Yourself on this New Material:
Briefly list the 6 Exclusive Legal Rights of Copyright.
List some examples of "fair use."
Define two new terms from these readings.

Practice explaining what you’ve read about copyright basics. Take notes or make a glossary of terms if that helps. You’ll give oral answers during our class meeting.

Thank you to AILA graduate Gail Reilly for her suggestions on this unit.