Copyright is the legal concept that once an original expression of a creative process is fixed in a tangible medium, like a photograph on film, that expression belongs to the creator who has the exclusive right to control and authorize its reproduction, distribution, public display, or performance. Copyright is the single greatest protection that any creator of intellectual property has at their disposal. It is what allows us to control the use of, and to profit from, the fruits of our creative efforts and to enforce certain claims against even much larger corporations. Copyright is not intended to stifle the sharing of information, merely to guarantee that the creators of that information have a right to make a decent living. There are plenty of exceptions to copyright protection written into the laws which guarantee the free exchange of information for academics, research, news, teaching, and other legitimate intellectual pursuits.
Articles, photographs, and music on the internet and in other digital formats are all covered by the same copyright protections as more traditional printed, displayed, or performed creative works. Now that the Web has become an open worldwide marketplace, it needs to be moderated by the same controls that guide commerce and advertising in other venues. In a free market economy, the right to buy and sell goods lies with the owners of those goods, not just anyone who happens to find them lying around. For example, when you walk by a grocery store with displays of goods both inside and outside, you know that the outside displays are there to attract your attention with the implication that you should come inside and buy something. They are not implying that you may just take an apple and walk away– that would be stealing. Likewise, by posting copyrighted information on the Web, we are putting it out there with the intention of it being looked at and perhaps purchased, but not stolen.
End-users of copyrighted material have the legal responsibility to obtain permission to use the work before doing so, and this permission is granted with a usage license from the copyright holder. A usage license is merely a simple contract which grants to a certain user the right to use a work in a certain way, in a certain place, for a certain period of time. A license for a photograph should specifically state who the user is, how large the image may be used, how many times, in what specific media format(s), and for how long. Any uses not specifically granted in a license remain with the copyright holder, by law.
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