Cyberspace Copyright: Graphics as Content
In a home page, graphics as content are used to illustrate and convey to the
reader a clearer message in regard to the site's topic. Sometimes, the
graphics are a site's topic, as is the case with an architectural
firm. At this time, most home pages contain graphics which add to their
content. This makes the issue of graphics as content very important. In the
papertext world, when someone creates a graphic, there is only one original.
Copies can be made, but rarely can they be duplicated exactly. In the
electronic world, even an amateur can easily make an electronic copy which is
exactly the same as the original.
What does this mean as far as copyrights go? Well, how can you distinguish
an original from a copy if they are exactly the same? How can one claim
ownership? What if someone takes another person's graphic and manipulates this
into their own graphic. Does the manipulated graphic ever become the property
of the manipulator, or is always the property of the original creator? And if
it does become the property of the manipulator, then when does it
change hands? How much manipulation is necessary?
It is very difficult to interpret and follow copyright laws about graphics in
the electronic world. It really all comes down to an ethical issue. Once
we decide what is ethical, then we can abide by these laws.
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Copyright 1996 Allan Kotmel and
Paulo Morales
Created for
Writing to the World Wide Web at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Questions and comments can be emailed to Allan at
kotmea@rpi.edu or to Paulo at
moralp@rpi.edu