The Everyday Wordsmith
Mar. 7, 2007
The Copyright Quiz & New Blog
Posted in Review
|
Everyone knows about copyright law.... or do they? I was recently at the library, and witnessed a crime in progress. A woman was standing at the copier, copying page after page of a workbook. As she made four copies of each page, stacking them in neat piles beside her, I wondered if she had thought about copyright law at all. (Since I own a copy of the workbook she was copying, I know that it is definitely covered under copyright law). Copyright law is designed to protect the intellectual property of an author. What is intellectual property? If you have knowledge about anything, and you take the time and trouble to write it down so it's available to others, it is your intellectual property. It doesn't matter what it is-- it can be a gathering of recipes you've created, a short story you wrote for your children, or a full-length book you spent years researching and writing. No matter what it is, it belongs to you under current copyright law, whether or not it contains a copyright symbol. Things published before 1923 are in the public domain, which means that the copyright has expired, and they may be freely used. If you buy a copy of a published, copyrighted work, you have essentially purchased the right to read and use it, but not to reproduce or profit from it. Consumable workbooks are particularly protected-- the law states that "There shall be no copying of or from works intended to be "consumable" in the course of study or teaching. These include workbooks, exercises, standardized tests and test booklets and answer sheets and like consumable material" (quoted by Association of American Publishers). By copying workbooks or other books that do not specifically allow this in their copyright statement, you are profiting from the work of another person in a way that is illegal. In my own copyright statements, I permit copying of reproducible worksheets for members of the immediate family, but many authors and publishers do not. It's very important to read the copyright page of any book before visiting the copy shop. It's a matter of integrity, not frugality! The laborer (author/publisher) is worthy of his or her hire, which in most cases, is a very small return on his or her investment of hours spent writing, years of research and learning, and often, heartfelt prayers that the work will bless the hearts of others. If you're a little unsure about the details of copyright law, there is an excellent copyright site just for homeschoolers that details exactly what is permissable. It even has a quick quiz to see how much you know! I recommend stopping by today to make sure that you're doing the right thing. After all, your children are watching! Note: I occasionally have difficulties posting here, so I've created a new blog at http://Janice-Campbell.com. I'll still post here on occasion, but please visit me at the new blog so you don't miss anything! |
|
• Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
•
Permanent Link
|
Feb. 6, 2007
Meet Peter Rabbit's 'Mom"! and Visit the DHHS Benefit Sale
Posted in Review
|
I've just read a book review that I can't wait to share! As a writer, I love to read biographies of famous women writers. It's inspiring and instructive, and it's all the better if it's an author whose work I really enjoy. When I opened the Book and Author section of our Sunday paper, I was delighted to find a glowing review of a new biography of one of my favorite childhood authors, Beatrix Potter. This new book, Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, chronicles Potter's long and interesting life, her evolution as a writer, and the legacy of her property to the National Trust. I'll be reading this book soon. I'd love to hear from you if you'll be reading it too. It's always fun to have reading partners! If your library doesn't have this book (mine didn't), you can get it through Amazon. I also wanted to let you know about a benefit sale that is being held for the Foxes of Discount Home School Supplies this week. The Fox family, who owns DHSS, has experienced a year of medical difficulties, including multiple surgeries. To help them conquer their medical bills, a number of friends in the homeschool community have donated a wonderful collection of e-books, downloadable audio workshops, and discount coupons to offer with Tami's e-book, Overcoming Obstacles While Homeschooling. The combined value of this e-book plus the special benefit package is over $120, but for the next five days, you can order the whole thing for only $29.95! The sale is over at midnight, February 10, so be sure to click on over and check out it out. You won't want to miss all the great benefits in this special package, and I think you'll be blessed by participating in this event! |
|
• Comments (0)
• Post A Comment!
•
Permanent Link
|