Learning Entry Blog 2 - Copyright and Plagiarism

Copyright law and plagiarism have always been very big issues but many people don't know the actual laws about copyrights. A copyright gives the creator of a work control over how it may be used. A copyright protects the creator's work and any work done by an employee under the creator. A copyright will only protect work that has been made in to a tangible form and will not protect any public knowledge or information that is common property. A copyright lasts for 70 years and can be transferred through inheritance. Certain institutions fall under the Fair Use Act which allows them to use copyrighted material without having to pay for it. There is also a special form of copyright called creative commons which allows people to use a creators work as long as that creator is given the credit.

In the medical field copyrights are very important. If I was to do research and used someone else's information without giving them credit not only would my work be disregarded but I could be subject to punishment under the law. Copyright is also very important in the pharmaceutical industry. If someone creates a new drug to treat a certain disease that person would want a copyright on the drug to insure that they get the money for it and that someone does not take their credit. Regardless of what industry you work in or what you are using information for if you do not give someone credit on copyrighted information there are serious repercussions.

Here's a link from Benedict.com. It has a bunch of info on copyrights including history, how long it lasts for, and special copyrights like Fairuse. It has a lot good stuff so check it out.