System of a Clown

Whatever has given people the misconception that just because it was found on the Internet, that it’s somehow “in the public domain”, and therefore not subject to copyright and intellectual property laws?  Where do people get these harebrained ideas?!?  What fantasy world do they, in fact, live in?

Let’s dispell that bullshit right now:

http://jsgraphics.net/blog/myth-if-it%E2%80%99s-on-the-internet-it-is-in-the-%E2%80%9Cpublic-domain%E2%80%9D-and-can-be-freely-copied/

http://cflegacy.research.umn.edu/intellectualproperty/Modules/Mod3/myths.html

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

I’m not saying “don’t post it if it isn’t yours”.  “Fair Use” is pretty powerful, and for the most part, simply sharing something for the appreciation of it goes unpunished.  Most authors, artists and creators are more interested in plagiarists and petty thieves than they are enthusiasts and fans. 

I’m just saying that you should give credit, when possible, where it’s due.  And for crying out loud, get your facts straight.

I’ll never forget the lady who called my help desk a few weeks ago and demanded that I assist her in downloading a video from YouTube (well outside the scope of my authority and the mission of my department), and when I told her that what she wanted me to do was illegal, she matter-of-factly informed me that everything on YouTube was public domain.