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Meryl's Notes Blog

Things wordy, geeky, and webby

Digital Copyrights

Tuesday, July 15th, 2003 at 8:16 AM Category: Meryl's Notes Blog No comments

David M. Freedman poses a challenging question as the law hasn’t caught up with the Internet. In Can You Copyright an e-Newsletter? explains basic copyright definitions and how they apply to Web sites and e-newsletters.

When I wrote a never-published article about digital protection, I probably tore out a few hairs out of frustration in trying to get the right information on paper. Freedman consulted with a property lawyer in writing the article, which puts copyright stuff in English for the rest of us.

I also recommend The GigLaw: Guide to Internet Law by Doug Isenberg, an attorney and founder of the Internet law Web site GigLaw.com. Anyone who does Internet newsletters, Web design, manages a Web site, freelance work relating to the Internet, or hire such folks should have this book. It references case studies (Playboy and Electronics Boutique are mentioned) and the lessons learned.

The book is divided in seven parts, the major parts of Internet law, for easy referencing. Each part has a case study to explain how a real-life situation is impacted by legal issues. Ever notice the copyright symbol on many Web sites? The book clearly explains how it works and the correct way to use it.

This is the source to go to get the answers on how Internet laws affect a business and see bulleted lists of how tos. The book makes an excellent reference because of the well-organized layout and jargon-free writing, something I thought not possible to do after my attempt in writing about copyrights in Web design.