“I hate a thief!” is a phrase you’ll hear anytime someone reports that their fishing gear, kayak or other cherished items are stolen. What’s troubling is a lot more people are stealing than know it or even worse don’t care. It isn’t always property that gets stolen. Sometimes it’s an idea.
Almost daily across Facebook, fishing forums and social media an interested party will post up their logo design, sticker design, website or blog. Readers chime in their thoughts which are almost always positive. Frequently however, these posts are of copyrighted material, and worse yet, no one seems to say anything.
The word copyright is thrown around a lot. What is it?
“…the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.”
Basically, you are in violation of copyright if you are not the originator or do not have written permission from the originator to reproduce, minimally modify or distribute the item. So why is this a big deal?
YOU ARE STEALING!
Just because images, blog posts, videos and music are on Google doesn’t mean that you can save them, put your name above it and use it legally. That is a copyright violation. I see this all the time. I have seen the G-Loomis Fish Skeleton design scavenged dozens of times. The kayak angler silhouette is almost as frequently pirated. I have had my own original works in writing and design stolen, without permission and sold. Even if you don’t sell the item, the distribution of it physically or digitally is a violation.
YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW!
Most people don’t realize that copyright actually carries some stiff penalties. If you infringe on a copyright you can face penalties up to $150,000, jail time and related costs.
So how do you avoid accidentally infringing on copyrights?
If you didn’t create every element of it, don’t use it. If you are using graphics, make sure you either pay for a stock image or use a free use image with a stated copyright usage. If you use Google image search, don’t just right click, save and use it. Do some research and figure out what the allowed usage is. Lack of knowledge is not a defense when facing these lawsuits.
If you didn’t write it, don’t copy and paste it to your website without permission. Just a link is not enough. You have a duty to inform. This doesn’t mean you can’t write about the same topics. Just don’t plagiarize it.
If you want to use a logo, article, image or music, get written permission for the originator or a statement that says it is a fair use property. Otherwise, you are a thief. Don’t be a thief.
