Creators of Content- Listen up for Copyright Clarification

PACA or to those that don't know the Picture Archive Council of America has produced a PowerPoint presentation which provides a ton of very valuable information regarding copyright law in the US and how it applies to the use of imagery in advertising, the news media and fine art. You can download the presentation here on it's website and is a must review for all creators and users of photography.

Topics that are covered range from what copyright protects and the length of the protection, as well as highlight such topics as fair use, what is an infringement and what is not, and explains how the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can be used to remove infringing works from the Internet. A Must Read.

You will find answers for:

* When do you acquire copyright protection?
* What is and isn't protected?
* What rights does the owner control?
* How long does copyright protection last?
* How to define Public Domain?
* Is copyright notice needed?
* Who owns copyright?
* Can copyright be transferred?
* Limitations on owner's rights
* Definition of Fair Use?
* Why should you worry about copyright?
* Who is responsible?


A lot of the terms that they are trying to clarify in the presentation have gray areas and multiple meanings depending on who you speak to. Nancy Wolff, PACA’s legal counsel and an expert on copyright law, was the creator of the PowerPoint presentation but she came up with all the language to help others understand the terms and usages for us non lawyer types. I'd be interested to hear what others say about how she defines terms and the case studies she picks. These are all very hard terms to define and pinpoint.

If you have a bit of free time and want to learn more about Copyright and topics related this is a good use of your time.