Copyright
There are other kinds of property that others are willing to share with you,
like a painting, a story, or a clever invention. Suppose that a friend painted
a picture in art class that everybody especially liked. Could you sell that painting
to someone for $10 after everyone had gone home? Or could you sell the painting
if you gave the painter $5 and kept $5? Surely not, because without the permission
of the painter, you would have stolen it. But it's not always that easy to tell what is right.
What if you just borrowed the painting, made 10 copies, and then sold each copy for $5?
In this case you have still stolen something; the painter may have intended to make copies
and sell them for his or her own profit, and you have taken that right from the painter without
permission.
Every country has a set of laws called copyright laws that determine your
right to use things that other people have made. Copyright laws cover not just
things you write, but also works of art, photographs, performances, CDRoms,
computer programs, graphic designs, and many other things.What our copyright
law says is that you own everything you write or create until 50 years after
your death, and that only you have permission to choose how it is used and who
may use it. After you die, any copyrights you own pass on to your descendants
just like any other property.More Serious Stuff There are types of behavior that
will get you into serious trouble and which at a minimum, will cause you to lose
your privileges. A moment of carelessness can change your life. Never give your
password to anyone or permit others to use your accounts. Never threaten anyone.
Never force anyone to view materials or language they will find offensive. Never
interfere with the operation or functioning of someone else's computer. Never
attempt to use the network to steal information or to damage or alter information
that belongs to others.Never make attempts to read confidential information that
does not belong to you. Never use the network to commit illegal acts, such as copying
or transmitting software that does not belong to you.
like a painting, a story, or a clever invention. Suppose that a friend painted
a picture in art class that everybody especially liked. Could you sell that painting
to someone for $10 after everyone had gone home? Or could you sell the painting
if you gave the painter $5 and kept $5? Surely not, because without the permission
of the painter, you would have stolen it. But it's not always that easy to tell what is right.
What if you just borrowed the painting, made 10 copies, and then sold each copy for $5?
In this case you have still stolen something; the painter may have intended to make copies
and sell them for his or her own profit, and you have taken that right from the painter without
permission.
Every country has a set of laws called copyright laws that determine your
right to use things that other people have made. Copyright laws cover not just
things you write, but also works of art, photographs, performances, CDRoms,
computer programs, graphic designs, and many other things.What our copyright
law says is that you own everything you write or create until 50 years after
your death, and that only you have permission to choose how it is used and who
may use it. After you die, any copyrights you own pass on to your descendants
just like any other property.More Serious Stuff There are types of behavior that
will get you into serious trouble and which at a minimum, will cause you to lose
your privileges. A moment of carelessness can change your life. Never give your
password to anyone or permit others to use your accounts. Never threaten anyone.
Never force anyone to view materials or language they will find offensive. Never
interfere with the operation or functioning of someone else's computer. Never
attempt to use the network to steal information or to damage or alter information
that belongs to others.Never make attempts to read confidential information that
does not belong to you. Never use the network to commit illegal acts, such as copying
or transmitting software that does not belong to you.