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©Copyright
Theft has become a serious problem on the net. Artists and
writers invest endless hours creating their work then show
it proudly on the Internet. Then they find that the source
of their bread and butter is showing up in other places. The
work was stolen!
In many cases this theft is committed out of ignorance. Many
people, especially new users, aren't aware that EVERYTHING
on the net is copyrighted. Material on webpages is protected
by US and international copyright law — the same law
that protects books, paintings and songs. If you copy an image
or text and use it without the author's permission, you may
be breaking the law and you can be sued by the author of the
image.
Here's how it happens. I'm not showing you how to steal,
by the way, but showing you WHAT NOT TO DO. You see
an image on the net that you like. Put your cursor over it...
... Now, right-click your mouse. Go ahead, this part's legal.
A pop-up menu will appear. See the option to "Save As"?
It's all too easy to save that image to your hard drive then
use it as your own. But If you do you may be breaking copyright
law.
Why do I keep saying you "may" be breaking copyright
law? There are circumstances when you CAN copy and use other
people's material. The author will let you know. Most of the
time you'll see a copyright notice or "Terms of Use"
link at the bottom of the page. When
in doubt, ask. An e-mail link to the author usually
appears near the copyright statement.
Most often you'll be permitted to use the material for noncommercial
use, such as personal websites and educational purposes. The
author will probably require that you get permission first,
and may want to see how you are using the work. Many times
the author will want a link to his or her site near the material
you've copied.
Check the 
US government's website for more information.
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