Copyright

Copyright for Web

International laws surrounding copyright dictate that any included materials that have been
copied or derived from the original source, must have been authorised by the copyright holder
of the content.
If copyrighted materials are used without permission you become liable to prosecution under
the ‘Copyright Act of 1976’. This ensues steep penalties, the licensed holder of the copyright
can claim for statutory damages against you.
Videos, imagery, music and type are always protected under copyright laws. These elements
are strictly regulated.
General Considerations
There are many laws surrounding websites, detailing what can be included. Some are quite
specific however most are vague. These faint guidelines create big grey areas which can be
exploited to argue against certain procedures. For example, the laws state that anyone who
is included in a video must approve of their likeness being captured, however when filming
large crowds, you can argue there is no way to get all their permissions. There are a great
many exceptions that exist under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
Exceptions for use of copyrighted material
In the Copyright Designs and Patents Act of 1988 it is stated in the third chapter that
under specific circumstances the use of copyrighted material is acceptable.
Some of these exceptions are stated below.

 Temporary copies – If I was to utilise an image which was only intended to be a

temporary copy, which is deemed necessary to the production of the work.
 Reporting on events – In some cases it is acceptable to include copyrighted content
when including updated important news.
 Incidental inclusion – If copyrighted material is included accidentally then even
though you can be taken to court still, you most likely will not be prosecuted.

Defamation
Under the communication and decency act 1996, any featured content on a website cannot
defame or insult anyone. The act prevents any form of libel.
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988):
By law any work completed by an individual is their own intellectual property, and all
rights to the work belong to them. Unless an agreement has been reached already.
Failure to acknowledge this can result in criminal convictions.
The copyright law protects all Literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, sound, broadcasts and
films. The rights to distribute, make revenue, take ownership and alter all belong to the
original creator. Unless authorized the performance of any above stated acts will infringe on
copyrights and you can have legal action taken out against you.
Aspects of this Multi-Media Work:
All images used in this product are created for your use or are royalty free, as are all literary
texts and type used in this product. Because of this distribution is not an issue.
The category of protected work this product falls under means that it will be protected by
copyright for 50 to 70 years.

Confidentiality
Unless authorised to be shown, all registration plates, faces, addresses and names featured
in the video should be blurred in order to appease the standards of confidentiality that are
expected to be enforced.

Ethics
Ethics are vital in the Media as they set guidelines for people to follow that help with avoiding
the possibility of others feeling inadequate or outcaste. They are also significant as they make
sure that the media being broadcast is truthful. Furthermore, ethics helps creators maintain
a sense of equality.

Legal Considerations
In all the media environments, there are specific rules that need to be adhered to.
Additionally, there are ethical and moral issues to consider. The Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act (1988) is where they explain the surrounding laws. There are legal limits that
websites must comply with. Unlike alternate media outlets like newspaper or radio, the
governing laws of TV and Web can be regulated closely. Adverts for TV are examined
rigorously before being aired and videos on websites like YouTube have strict content
filters which prohibit certain video elements, controlling what can be uploaded.
Though people are entitled to free opinions, however if you insult or mock a religion, race,
group or person. It is you who will be held responsible. This also applies to national
sources.