One of the topmost features of these media sharing sites is the fact that users can watch video in real time from the media sharing sites (thanks mainly growing Internet bandwidth in the world), with some of the more daring types even allowing the users to actually download the videos, though many have tended not to go this far, probably out of fear for copyright related reprisals.

Just as they allow video sharing, most of these media sharing sites also allow for music sharing in very much the same way, where users can stream music stored on the sites’ server, with some – typically the more audacious ‘underground’ types even allowing users to download the music, though the better exposed one’s have tended to be wary of going this far in fear of copyright related lawsuits.

Another great feature of the media sharing sites is the picture sharing capabilities they offer their users – and unlike the case with music and video, there tends to be fewer copyright considerations here, so that users can download virtually all types of pictures they come across and use them without looking over their shoulders, as long as they don’t use them for commercial purposes, which might raise the ire of the makers.

Beyond picture sharing another great feature of the media sharing sites – and which endears them to many users is the interactive capabilities they offer the users, where the users can not only stream music and video (as well as watch pictures) but also comment on music, videos and pictures posted by others; with the comments made about of various items often growing to be major heated discussions on their own.

Taking the interactivity further, many media sharing sites nowadays come with blogging capabilities, where users can create posts about virtually anything that catches their fancy, and post it to the web – potentially with the opportunity for exposure that is as good as if the posts were occurring in major information outlets.

Now you can browse, share and watch videos only at http://videovici.com/ . Videovici also offers option to users to start their own blog, upload pictures and comment on other member’s video.

One of the topmost features of these media sharing sites is the fact that users can watch video in real time from the media sharing sites (thanks mainly growing Internet bandwidth in the world), with some of the more daring types even allowing the users to actually download the videos, though many have tended not to go this far, probably out of fear for copyright related reprisals.

Just as they allow video sharing, most of these media sharing sites also allow for music sharing in very much the same way, where users can stream music stored on the sites’ server, with some – typically the more audacious ‘underground’ types even allowing users to download the music, though the better exposed one’s have tended to be wary of going this far in fear of copyright related lawsuits.

Another great feature of the media sharing sites is the picture sharing capabilities they offer their users – and unlike the case with music and video, there tends to be fewer copyright considerations here, so that users can download virtually all types of pictures they come across and use them without looking over their shoulders, as long as they don’t use them for commercial purposes, which might raise the ire of the makers.

Beyond picture sharing another great feature of the media sharing sites – and which endears them to many users is the interactive capabilities they offer the users, where the users can not only stream music and video (as well as watch pictures) but also comment on music, videos and pictures posted by others; with the comments made about of various items often growing to be major heated discussions on their own.

Taking the interactivity further, many media sharing sites nowadays come with blogging capabilities, where users can create posts about virtually anything that catches their fancy, and post it to the web – potentially with the opportunity for exposure that is as good as if the posts were occurring in major information outlets.

Now you can browse, share and watch videos only at http://videovici.com/ . Videovici also offers option to users to start their own blog, upload pictures and comment on other member’s video.

One of the topmost features of these media sharing sites is the fact that users can watch video in real time from the media sharing sites (thanks mainly growing Internet bandwidth in the world), with some of the more daring types even allowing the users to actually download the videos, though many have tended not to go this far, probably out of fear for copyright related reprisals.

Just as they allow video sharing, most of these media sharing sites also allow for music sharing in very much the same way, where users can stream music stored on the sites’ server, with some – typically the more audacious ‘underground’ types even allowing users to download the music, though the better exposed one’s have tended to be wary of going this far in fear of copyright related lawsuits.

Another great feature of the media sharing sites is the picture sharing capabilities they offer their users – and unlike the case with music and video, there tends to be fewer copyright considerations here, so that users can download virtually all types of pictures they come across and use them without looking over their shoulders, as long as they don’t use them for commercial purposes, which might raise the ire of the makers.

Beyond picture sharing another great feature of the media sharing sites – and which endears them to many users is the interactive capabilities they offer the users, where the users can not only stream music and video (as well as watch pictures) but also comment on music, videos and pictures posted by others; with the comments made about of various items often growing to be major heated discussions on their own.

Taking the interactivity further, many media sharing sites nowadays come with blogging capabilities, where users can create posts about virtually anything that catches their fancy, and post it to the web – potentially with the opportunity for exposure that is as good as if the posts were occurring in major information outlets.

Now you can browse, share and watch videos only at http://videovici.com/ . Videovici also offers option to users to start their own blog, upload pictures and comment on other member’s video.

The academic world is one of the most common areas which violates plagiarism. Many students will copy and paste information they need for their research papers and essays straight off the Internet and turn it in to their professors. However, these days professors can use special programs to detect this type of cheating. Plagiarism is unethical, not only in the writing world, but in the academic world, as well.

You could plagiarize a work but not violate the copyright. Let’s say you are using Abraham Lincoln’s exact words in a paper and you did not cite him as the source or give him credit. Well, Lincoln’s words aren’t copyrighted because they are in the public domain. But, you did plagiarize because you tried to pass off his words as your own.

Alternatively, if you use a picture in a book and you did not gain permission to use the book, you have violated copyright law because you did not source the artist and you did not get permission from the artist to use the picture.

If you are in school, the best way to avoid plagiarism is to list your sources. If you use someone’s word, list it in an endnote or in a footnote. List the resource in the bibliography. Another way to avoid plagiarism is to take notes when you are reading. Take notes in your own words; and write your paper from your own words.

No one wants to be singled out for plagiarism, especially a student who is concerned about his or her reputation at school, and writers who need to keep their credibility in good standing. With today’s technological advances, it is not too hard to pinpoint plagiarized work. Even webmasters who run websites actively check their content for plagiarized material. They can run their entire sites through a special program to see if their content has been stolen and duplicated elsewhere on the Internet.

If you are writer, either academically or as a profession, it is a good idea that you only use your own words. It was probably easier to get away with plagiarism 20 years ago, but it is not that easy today. The chances are high that if you are plagiarizing, you will be caught. Not only is it embarrassing, but it can cost you a bundle in a lawsuit.

When you hear about people caught of plagiarism, many different things can happen to them. First of all, plagiarism can be both a civil and criminal crime, so people caught of plagiarism are likely to get both sued and tried in criminal court. Because of the nature of copyright laws, if and when people are caught of plagiarism, it’s likely they will get repercussions from far and wide.

One of the most common areas in which plagiarism is violated is in the academic world. Many students will copy and paste the information they need for their research papers and essays straight off the Internet and turn it in to their professors. However, this type of cheating is easily detected now with special programs that professors can use. Plagiarism is unethical, not only in the writing world, but in the academic world, as well.

Did you know that you could plagiarize a work but not violate the copyright protection? Let’s say you are using Abraham Lincoln’s exact words in a paper and you did not cite him as the source. Lincoln’s words aren’t copyrighted because they are in the public domain. But, you did plagiarize because you tried to pass off his words as your own.

Alternatively, if you use a picture in a book and you did not gain permission to use the book, you have violated copyright law because you did not source the artist and you did not get permission from the artist to use the picture.

If you are in school, the best way you can get around committing plagiarism is to simply list your sources. If you use someone’s word, list it in an endnote or in a footnote. List the resource in the bibliography. Another way around copyright law and plagiarism violations is to take notes when you are reading. Take notes in your own words and not verbatim from the source. Write your paper from your own words.

No one wants to be singled out for plagiarism, especially a student who is concerned about their reputation at school and writers who need to keep their credibility in good standing. With today’s technological advances, it is not too hard to pinpoint plagiarized work. Even webmasters who run websites are on to the plagiarism crowd. They can run their entire sites through a special program to see if their content has been stolen and duplicated elsewhere on the Internet.

If you are dealing with the written word, either academically or as a profession, it is a good idea that you only use your own words. It was probably easier to get away with plagiarism 100 years ago, but it is not that easy today. The chances are very high that if you are caught plagiarizing and breaking copyright laws, you will be caught. Not only is it embarrassing, but it can cost you a bundle in a lawsuit.

There is no requirement for the material to have any aesthetic or material value to be protected nor to be registered as copyright.

The general rule is that if someone has created it, then they or, the person to whom they have transferred the rights, own the copyright. ‘It’ includes: original artistic works including paintings, photographs, literary, dramatic and musical material, sound and video recordings, including broadcasts live or otherwise, and applies to any medium, including publishing on the internet and in email marketing.

On a practical note, if an article, picture or such has already been published then the copyright owner is often very amenable to having it seen in print again as long as there is suitable acknowledgement of source as this can provide a bit of free advertising. Even if a fee is required, it is often set quite low.

When an article is published in a magazine for instance, it is only ‘first serial rights’, briefly the right to publish it the first time, that are transferred. The copyright for further publication normally remains with the author.

You might think a photocopy of a particularly complimentary magazine article in an email or on your website might well generate reassurance amongst potential customers. But this can be quite difficult as the norm is that multiple agents have various rights to it and you might be daunted by the task of obtaining it all.

For instance, there is the person who wrote the words for the article, then those who took the pictures, frequently sourced from more than one person, the graphic artist who created the layout for the specific article and the person who owns the general page layout rights. Further, the copy might well contain items, such as tables, databases, lyrics and quotes which are sourced from other holders of copyright. And similar rights extend to any graphic advert that might be on the page as these would have copyright owners of the design and content.

But it is not all restrictions, although there are fewer exemptions than one might expect in the 45 paragraphs and 18 sub paragraphs in the relevant chapter of The Act. These include educational use and adapting copyright material for the visually impaired. When offering for sale works of art it is normally permissible to reproduce the item.

The general principle that ideas cannot be subject to copyright, only the form in which they are expressed, was challenged by some of the joint authors of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, when they alleged that Dan Brown, in his book The Da Vinci Code, had copied their ‘central theme’. However, on appeal it was found for Brown.

Copyright is time limited but these limits vary.

Material on the web is similarly protected, although cognisance is taken of the technical reproduction requirements of the technology. For websites and other transmitted material such as email marketing it is advised that the © sign be put on every page with the year of creation and the copyright holder identified.

Moral rights stand for what are termed as “Author’s Special Rights”. Founded on Article 6bis of the Berne Convention, moral rights protect attribution and integrity, stating:

Independently of the author’s economic rights, and even after the transfer of the said rights, the author shall have right to claim authorship of the work and to object to any distortion, mutilation or other modification of, or other derogatory action in relation to, the said work, which would be prejudicial to his honour or reputation.

The legislation of different countries varies on author’s power to waive his moral rights. At one end, there are some civil law countries, like France, that impose a virtually absolute bar on transfer or the waiver of such rights. At the other end there are common law countries which freely allow the waiver of moral rights.

As a matter of practice, waiver of the moral rights is an inevitable element of the relationship between an author, his work and his publication. Since the production of a book, sound recording or motion picture will necessarily alter the author’s original work to some degree, and thus by entering into such a relationship, the author effectively waives the right of integrity and disclosure, at least to the extent reasonably dictated by the terms of the relationship.

In the United States, the term ‘moral rights’ typically refers to the right of an author to prevent revision, alteration, or distortion of his work, regardless of who owns the work. Moral rights as outlined in Visual Artists Rights Act, 1990 also allow an author of a visual work to avoid being associated with works that are not entirely his own, and to prevent defacements of his works. The Act provides for waiver of moral rights, but only by a signed, written agreement specifying the work and the precise uses to which a waiver applies. Section 106A of the American Copyright Act provides for waiver of moral rights.

It is also pertinent to note that the concept of moral rights is restricted by the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 and the Copyright Act to visual artists only.

Section 87, Copyrights, Designs, and Patents Act, 1988 of United Kingdom deals with the consent and waiver of moral rights. A waiver –

a)      May relate to a specific work, to works of a specified description or to works generally, and may relate to existing or future works, and

b)      May be conditional or unconditional and may be expressed to be subject of revocation;

And, if made in favour of the owner or prospective owner of the copyright in the work or works to which it relates, it shall be presumed to extend to his licensees and successors in title unless a contrary intention is expressed. Any of these rights may be waived by instrument in writing signed by the person giving up the right.

Relevant provisions of Indian Law

Section 57 of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 provides for moral rights-

57. Author’s special rights. (1) Independently of the author’s copyright and even after the assignment either wholly or partially of the said copyright, the author of a work shall have the right

a.       To claim authorship of the work; and

b.      to restrain or claim damages in respect of any distortion, mutilation, modification or other act in relation to the said work which is done before the expiration of the term of copyright if such distortion, mutilation, modification or other act would be prejudicial to his honour or reputation:

Is Waiver Possible under Indian Law?

A case decided not too long ago by the Delhi High Court, Amar Nath Seghal v. Union of India discusses the issue of moral rights in substantial detail. In this case, the plaintiff/author assigned his copyright in a bronze mural, to the Union of India. The mural was placed in Vigyan Bhavan, but was later pulled down and dumped. The author, Amar Nath Seghal, sued for violation of his moral rights. 

The case was filed in the early 90’s and an interim injunction was passed in favour of the Plaintiff. In response, the defendants made an application under the Arbitration Act, 1940 seeking stay of proceedings in the suit claiming that the dispute ought to be referred to arbitration in the light of a term in the assignment requiring arbitration of all disputes.

The defendants further argued that “the plaintiff had assigned his copyrights to the defendants and having purchased the same, the defendants are under no fetters while dealing with the mural in question.”

The interim application was decided in 2002 and the case itself was finally decided in 2005. The court dismissed the claim under the Arbitration Act and further observed: “These [moral] rights are independent of the author’s copyright. They exist even after the assignment of the copyright, either wholly or partially.”

The court quoted from Smt. Mannu Bhandari v. Kala Vikash Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and Anr. (1986)

“Section 57 confers additional rights on the author of a literary work as compared to the owner of a general copyright. The special protection of the intellectual property is emphasised by the fact that the remedies of a restraint order or damages can be claimed “even after the assignment either wholly or partially of the said copyright…” Section 57 thus clearly overrides the terms of the Contract of assignment of the copyright. To put it differently, the contract of assignment would be read subject to the provisions of Section 57 and the terms of contract cannot negate the special rights and remedies guaranteed by Section 57. The Contract of Assignment will have to be so construed as to be consistent with Section 57. The assignee of a copyright cannot claim any rights or immunities based on the contract which are inconsistent with the provisions of Section 57.”

From the above wording, it could be argued that “moral rights” are akin to the Fundamental Rights guaranteed under the Constitution, in that they cannot be waived.

Interestingly, Article 27 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides:

(2) everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

There is no express provision under Section 57 of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 allowing authors to disclaim authorship. However, according to different statutes, the right to claim authorship also includes the right to disclaim authorship. Under the case Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan, the Supreme Court held that provisions of international conventions can be read into the Constitution where there is no contrary domestic law in the field.

Nations that are members of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and artistic Works are required to meet a minimum level of protection, as set forth in the Berne convention’s Article 6bis. The multilateral treaty does not address waiver of moral rights; waiver is neither sanctioned nor prohibited, and individual member nations may implement the Berne Convention in their own ways.

In India, practice shows that moral rights cannot be bought or sold. However they can be waived and it will often be the case that as a condition to any contract which a performer may enter into that employers or production companies will seek a waiver of those rights. Indian law probably permits waiver of moral rights if it is in writing and meets the ‘reasonableness’ standard.  For example, a waiver is more likely to be upheld if it is revocable and applies to specific alterations or modifications of copyrighted work rather than an irrevocable blanket waiver, particularly if the author had no bargaining power when the waiver is granted.

References:

        i.            Sonia Baldia, Intellectual Property in Global Sourcing: The Art of Transfer.

      ii.            38 Georgetown Journal of International Law 499, spring 2007.

    iii.            Mira T Sundara Rajan, Moral Rights in the Public Domain, 2003.

The New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft, or NZFACT, is an organisation that is committed to ensuring and protecting the rights of the New Zealand film and television industry, retailers, and movie fans. Copyright infringement has a wide number of manifestations and is something that applies to a vast number of scenarios. NZFACT has several members which include, but are not limited to:

Village Roadshow Limited

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, New Zealand

Paramount Pictures Corporation

Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation

Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation

Universal International Films, Inc

Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros.Pictures Inc.

NZFACT works with enforcement agencies and government officials to ensure the copyright infringement and piracy of any kind do not take place in New Zealand. Tony Eaton, a former police prosecutor in the New Zealand Courts, is the Executive Director of NZFACT. For more information about issues such as copyright infringement laws and regulations, legal penalties for copyright infringement and piracy, how to contribute towards the upkeep of copyright laws and regulations, how to ensure that you protect yourself and/or your corporation from potential litigation, please visit www.nzfact.co.nz.

The New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft, or NZFACT, is an organisation that is committed to ensuring and protecting the rights of the New Zealand film and television industry, retailers, and movie fans. Copyright infringement has a wide number of manifestations and is something that applies to a vast number of scenarios. NZFACT has several members which include, but are not limited to:

Village Roadshow Limited

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, New Zealand

Paramount Pictures Corporation

Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation

Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation

Universal International Films, Inc

Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.

NZFACT works with enforcement agencies and government officials to ensure the copyright infringement and piracy of any kind do not take place in New Zealand. Tony Eaton, a former police prosecutor in the New Zealand Courts, is the Executive Director of NZFACT. For more information about issues such as copyright infringement laws and regulations, legal penalties for copyright infringement and piracy, how to contribute towards the upkeep of copyright laws and regulations, how to ensure that you protect yourself and/or your corporation from potential litigation, please visit. www.nzfact.co.nz

What You Should Remember

1. Check the fonts. You may think that you can do anything with the fonts in your Powerpoint presentation. You’re wrong. There are certain things that you have to consider, one of which is the font size. You have to ensure that the texts will remain visible even from at the farthest corner of the room. Hence, for your title, the ideal font size is between 36 and 40. For the body of your Powerpoint presentation, you can go for anything not less than 24. You also have to avoid using ultra-stylish font, especially those with too much curves, as they are harder to read. Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana are the most suggested.

2. Check the Powerpoint templates. You also have to think about the Powerpoint templates that you’re going to utilize. It’s highly ideal to select one that you can use all throughout the Powerpoint presentation. Moreover, you are advised to stick with Powerpoint templates that are professional-looking and not too flashy. However, if you have a general theme in mind, perhaps in line with the product you’re trying to launch or the purpose of the meeting, then you can go for themed templates. For instance, if you’re going to talk about the city during the 1960s, you can make use of vintage-inspired Powerpoint templates. There are a lot that you can choose from these days. All you have to do is to surf the Internet.

3. Minimize the use of too much animation. Flying texts and complicated slide transitions should be used sparingly during a Powerpoint presentation. Not only are they unnecessary, but they can also drive the attention of your audience away from the meat of the discussion. They may sometimes be too annoying. They can also add more file size, which makes the Powerpoint presentation a lot harder to share to others or send through an e-mail. The images, videos, and even sounds should only be used if you want to emphasize something.

4. Choose your images well. Just like texts, you should make sure that the images can be seen even by the last person sitting at the back. Or else, they will appear to be pixilated once you increase the screen size. If the images are really small in nature, you can make use of a size converter, so you can magnify them. You may also have to avoid utilizing copyright-protected pictures unless they are yours or that you’ve asked permission.

5. Practice. Look for some time where you can practice your spiel together with your Powerpoint presentation. There are times when you have to jump from one slide to another, which you should get accustomed to. You don’t want to break the momentum or invite monotony during your discussion.