Oops!

The internet is a place chock full of words and images, and that has given folks the idea that it's all up for grabs. Not so, Tonto!

Published books, articles, images, and music are covered by copyright law. As a group, these are called "intellectual property rights" and include protection from piracy and unauthorized use by others. There are set penalties for unauthorized use, particularly if the perpetrator sells pirated items without compensating the author or artist. When someone steals words from an author, it's called plagiarism.

Before you go grabbing my art work or articles for your own use, or anybody else's for that matter, you should be aware that you are treading down a path that could lead to lawsuits, costly reparation penalties, and stiff fines.

To keep yourself from this world of hurt, here's the scoop on what to do if you want to use other people's material:

Reviews: There is a concept in copyright law called "Fair Use." This comes into effect when a person is writing a review or doing an interview. Generally, it is considered fair use to display three to five images from a tarot deck. It is considered fair use to quote three to five sentences of a written work. If you go beyond these amounts, your work (even with the best of intentions) could come under scrutiny for copyright infringement. If you are reviewing a movie or television show and want to use an image from it, it's a good idea to contact the production company and get permission to use the image. Once you get the permission, you can include "used by permission of the author" (or artist) underneath the place where it's shown.

Permissions: If you want to quote someone, or use their images somehow in your own work, it is good practice and good karma to ask the author or artist for permission. You send that person an e-mail, tell them what you want to use and in what context, and ask for their permission to use it. If you want to use an image (or words) on an item you plan to sell, or in a high-traffic website, expect to pay a licensing fee.

This can get a little more complicated if you want to use stills from films, professional photographs, published music, or characters from popular novels. Folks in these industries have swarms of lawyers ready to pounce on people who recklessly abuse copyrights. Just try publishing a spin-off Harry Potter book without permission and see what happens. Missing body parts will be the least of your worries.

Copyright Free Material: Once a copyright expires, the material falls into the public domain. This means it can be used without fees or permissions. Copyrights last for seventy-five years. In 2008, anything written or produced before 1933 is considered public domain UNLESS someone has renewed the copyright. A lot of musicians, or their heirs, do this, so don't assume music is copyright-free just because it's old. The same thing can be done with commercial art work. The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot copyright has been renewed by US Games, so you can't just swipe these images for your own use.

Here's the Deal: I spend a lot of time and effort writing articles and doing artwork. My blood, sweat, tears, and original ideas go into my work. My books, articles, and tarot deck are copyrighted materials, and are legally protected.

So if you're stupid enough to steal my work or pimp my ideas for your very own, be assured that I'll pull a Jay and Silent Bob and come to your house and beat the shit out of you. Gleefully. And after I've personally beaten the shit out of you, I'll call an attorney and get him/her to sue you for copyright infringement or theft of intellectual property.

If there is artwork you see that you'd like to use for something, or articles you'd like to quote, please contact me to get permission. If you want to use my art on an item you intend to sell, or on a site where you sell services or products, there will be a licensing fee. Any work you get permission to use must be properly credited in your text.