It's not worth it. Don't even think about saying, "No copyright infringement is intended."
I can't count the number of times that I see this phrase on someone's social media post as they wait for guests to join their livestream room or use a photograph from Google to illustrate a point. I admit, I have said the same thing in the past, actually up until a few days ago. Now, I understand that when something is copy written, it is imperative that proper credit is given to the person who's creative intellectual property is "borrowed," used or exploited.
Even with the use of memes on social media it is best to find out the original copyright owner and ask permission before selecting one - I never thought to do that.
When I think about Copyright, Patent and Trademark law, I think about it now as my intellectual property, (or someone else's) is locked and only the person with the combination can open the door. As in the image below, having material in use that is not protected can result is someone either intentionally or inadvertently taking what is inside of my locker. Having it in writing from the original copyright owner that it is permissible to use intellectual property is a way to protect yourself from infringement, or citing them correctly if you can't do that is necessary.
Copyright, patent and trademarks legally protect me, my work, and my intellectual property from theft and improper use. Another thing that I learned is that if I choose, I can sell my copyright to someone else for them to exploit it. I had heard about people being able to do that, but did not know the process.
In learning more about copyright, patents and trademarks, I learned about the steep consequences. Depending upon how egregious the situation and the level of use, a person could go to jail and suffer tremendous financial loss for copyright infringement. It's not worth it. As the viral sensation Sweet Brown said, "Ain't nobody got time for that."(https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sweet-brown-aint-nobody-got-time-for-that)
Learning more about Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents made me more feel more comfortable with the process. I think I need to rewatch some of the class videos and definitely learn the Public Domain law.
When I am creating posts, giving speeches, or writing I will be more careful. As a writer who is trying to emerge into the film and television industry, I would be devastated if someone took my work. I have prayed, cried, stayed up late and pressed through every level of emotion to get my story complete - by all means, it must be protected.
If I want to use anything that resembles what someone else may have said or done, I will make sure to give proper credit. All it takes is a simple search in the library app or even the copyright website to search for something before using it.
Penda
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