Module 3: standards, legal issues

Module 3 standards

• log entry: have you used images or words on your web page or website that contravene copyright laws?
  

Regards the use of copyrighted material on my website, well i have an image that i sourced using Google image search. Ooops. So, am i in violation of copyright law? And if so, Australian law or US law - assuming the image was sitting on a server in the US? On the Google image site it did say that the logo i used "may be protected by copyright".It didn't say explicitly that it was. Some things to ponder.
I investigated further. The Australian Copyright Council was a good source of information here. They had good information sheets to download in pdf format, in particular : Websites: an introduction to copyright.( info sheet: G057v08). It explicitly states that individual components including photos, logos and other images are protected by copyright. Looks like I'm gone.
However, it goes on to say that there are certain circumstances where you can use material without permission. These exemptions are termed, "Fair dealing", for example, if you use material for the purposes of satire, jokes or parodies, then you can use the material without fear of copyright infringement. Also included in the definition of "fair dealing" is using materials for research and study.(see information sheets: Research and Study (G053v07) ) On reading these exemptions it seems clear that what these laws are trying to protect is people exploiting other peoples work for commercial gain. The fact that i am using a logo as an example of my technical ability to insert an image into an html document doesn't infringe copyright. I am sure of it now.

• Would you be in breach of copyright if you put the curtin logo at the top of your web page for an assignment? This information may be difficult to find so be prepared for a search and some independent thought.
  

There is a link to the copyright and disclaimer page at the bottom of the curtin university homepage. Within that page there is a link to copyright information for staff and students. On this page it contains information for students relating to what is copyrighted material and also information regards allowances of copying material without infringing copyright. Again the allowances come under the provisions of "fair dealings". Basically you can copy part of copyrighted material provided it is for research or study. As for the curtin logo, it definitely would be protected by copyright. So you would need to consider your intention in using it. If you thought that adding the logo to your work might infer to the reader some extra credibility on your part, then i think you are probably infringing copyright. But if your intention was just to demonstrate your mastery of inserting an image into a html document, then i wouldn't think you had anything to worry about. But i may be wrong here. It would be interesting to know what others thought.