Authors of creative works enjoy protection under copyright laws. Copyright laws worldwide exist to protect the authors from any infringement of their work. Books and other written materials on hard copies, web pages, email messages, digital images, text, musical work, software and any copyrighted materials published on the internet are equally protected. Copyright has however faced challenges from digital technology over recent years.
The internet is not a public domain even if it is for sharing information worldwide and sometimes freely available. Copyright laws that apply to written materials apply on the internet. Hence, be careful internet users; you must seek and obtain permission from the copyright owner to use his work or to link to other sites on your web page.
To protect yourself, it is advisable to place a copyright notice on your web site. Although a notice or symbol ((c)) is not mandatory to enjoy protection on your work, it would be best to provide a notice and add phrases such as "All Rights Reserved" or "copyright 2007 by ..." at the bottom of your web page.
Further, email copyright problems could be avoided if you place a similar notice. You may also set up a password system to protect your websites, allowing only certain users to access it.
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of each country to authors of works that include literary works, computer software, databases, lectures/speeches, plays, musical works and photographic works and other intellectual works. In fact, using, copying and downloading software, downloading materials from websites on the internet or distributing any material in any manner, for any purpose – commercial or personal – without the author's written permission constitutes copyright infringement with limited exceptions.
Your work is protected under the copyright laws even on the internet. Therefore, taking legal action is recommended once you notice your work is used on the internet without your consent. Check the applicable laws and take the appropriate action. An infringement action before a civil court can be undertaken. Some laws also provide criminal remedies for infringement of copyright in the form of fines and/or imprisonment.
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| Lara Ababneh |
Al Tamimi & Company
Dubai International Financial Centre
6th Floor, Building 4 East
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 364 1641
Fax: +971 4 364 1777
info@tamimi.com
www.tamimi.com
