What Is Copyright, And When Can I Download Images And Text From Web Sites?

The person who owns the copyright on a piece of work -- an article, a book, an image, a film, computer software -- can control its use and require that you pay for the privilege of using it.

There are strict laws about when you can use other people's work and when you have to ask for permission. Works that are over a certain age are considered to be "public domain" and can be used freely.

In general, as a student you can take small parts of other's works and quote them or use them in your classroom and research projects. There are limits to the amount you can take from one individual work, and you must always make sure you give proper credit as discussed above. Ask your teacher or librarian to explain copyright and public domain to you.

When you take images or text from a Web site, check the site's policy. In most cases, as long as you are using the information for school work and will not publish or exhibit it, the site will not object.

A good site to check for basic information on copyright and other Internet related issues is Adventures of Cyberbee at http://www.cyberbee.com.