SolveYourProblem Article Series: Copyrights
I Need To Understand Copyright Law
What
Is Copyright Infringement Insurance Coverage?
Do You Need Copyright Infringement Insurance
Coverage?
People
are creating more content now than ever: eBooks, blogs, web
journals, MySpace Pages, Podcasts. Everywhere, in abundance,
you’ll find people sharing their ideas and opinions, and creating
entertainment for everyone. However, with all the resources
available to us, how can we be sure that we’re not violating
copyright law? Should we have copyright infringement insurance
coverage?
Copyright infringement is the act of using someone else’s
copyrighted material – in any form – in our own use without
proper allowances. In order to be allowed to use the material,
all we may need to do is ask and give the owner royalties,
attribution, or some combination thereof. But, occasionally,
it’s easy to forget that we need to ask before we use something
without rights.
You’re allowed to use copyrighted works in a number of forms
– educational and instructional uses, parody, commentary, and
news are all forms where you don’t need to ask for use – it’s
considered fair use under the copyright law. However, even
if you’re using the item of copyright in one of these forms,
it would still be wise to inform the owner of your intent before
using it.
Of course, you should contact a copyright lawyer before using
anyone else’s work(s), but to keep yourself safe, copyright
infringement insurance coverage may be a good bet for you and
your colleagues.
Should you have copyright infringement insurance coverage?
Although this is a new concept, it is one we should look at
closely as creators. A well-known adage “there is no completely
original idea” comes into play in our current age – while it’s
entirely possible for us to have a thought, and act upon the
thought – there may be, somewhere, someone who has created
close to the same material as we have, without our knowing.
Did we create it first? Did they? Would they be able to sue
you for copyright infringement? These are the things to ponder
as we create our media – should we have copyright infringement
insurance coverage?
What is copyright infringement insurance coverage?
This coverage would be insurance for covering the cost to
settle lawsuits brought in regards to copyright infringement
– it would be a small amount of coverage. For example, you
would only need around $5,000 to cover the court and attorney
fees associated with a case, if a suit were brought against
a person. Theoretically, you would only pay under $25 per year
and would cover up to the five thousand dollar settlement should
a case be brought against you.
How would you use copyright infringement insurance coverage?
Hopefully, you’d never have to use your copyright infringement
insurance coverage. But, it would be there in case a charge
was ever brought to you on copyright infringement
With so many of us – bloggers, columnists, podcasters – creating
our own content, it’s in our best interest to consider something
such as this. We may not always get the rights we need in order
to use a work, either whole or in part.
As you can see, it can be critical to have copyright infringement
insurance coverage as a blogger, podcaster, columnist, or other
content creator. It’s imperative that we know our rights to
use something (or to NOT use something) and what we can do
to protect yourself. Copyright infringement can carry a serious
penalty, and insurance coverage is a good way to insure that
you’re protected from hefty fines. Talk to you current insurance
provider and copyright lawyer to find out what you need to
do, and what you need to know, to get proper insurance for
your needs.
# # # # # SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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