Effect of Internet, Web and Media

Copyright protection laws that were associated with printed material now govern the use of audio, video, images, and text on the Internet and the World Wide Web. The intuitive interface of the World Wide Web makes it easy for the computer user to copy and use images, text, video and other graphics that are likely to be protected by copyright. A document may be copyrighted even if it does not explicitly state that it is copyrighted. People can avoid copyright violations and legally use copyrighted materials if they comply with fair use guidelines. The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. The safest course of action is to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material.