E-mail & Web Copyright

Even though the Internet/Web is publicly accessible, contrary to popular assumption this is not a "public domain" environment. I've had many clients over the years who I have worked that have tried to use photos and text from other sites using the excuse "public domain" -- wrong.

Too many also believe that it is O.K. to post private e-mails publicly or to take other's writings and mass mail them -- wrong again. If you use anyone's work whether it be graphic, text or files in your e-mails or otherwise, you need to ask their permission to do so. Copyright is in place upon creation. For example, this post is copyrighted to me because I am the author/creator.

I don't mind if onliners use my works, articles or contents of my site as long as they ask and give the proper references when they do. Even with my Free Weekly E-mail Etiquette eTips, which I created specifically because folks ask for easy content for their company newsletters, credit must be given where due.

As far as the dissemination of private e-mails -- that is simply rude. Besides the lack of ethics that forwarding or making public an e-mail that was sent to you privately will imply, here again, copyright is in full force.

You don't use, forward or copy anything created by someone else without their permission to do so. Check out my article on the topic:

Online Copyright Myths