So what does it all mean then?

Why is all this important to you?

Why is copyright important?

Well like we discussed earlier, if you're working on a website,

almost every part of that website is copyrightable.

But chances are you're not creating it entirely from scratch.

Maybe you're using WordPress,

is that copyrighted?

Clearly you're allowed dowload it free and use it,

but for what exactly, and how?

Is that theme you're working with the work of someone else?

Did you buy that theme, and if you did, can you modify it, can you change it, how much?

Are you building an iPhone app?

You didn't write the iOS system that it's running on.

Are you sure you're working within it's terms of service?

You never read those things, do you?

Every creative person, whether a web designer, photographer, film-maker, musician,

painter, architect, or anything else,

everyone should have a basic understanding of copyright law in the United States

and in their own country.

It's essential for creating anything, working for any sort of company,

or running any sort of business.

In the following stages we're going to cover topics including licensing,

open source, creative comments, where to find content that you can use in your own projects,

both free and paid,

how to protect your work, how to share your work while still retaining your rights.

And even how to deal with people who use your work in a way you don't agree with.

By the end of it you'll feel pretty confident talking about matters of copyright

when those discussion arise, and they will.

And you'll have a good idea of what you want to do with your own creative works.

So now we understand the very basics of copyright law.

Are there any exceptions to copyright laws?

There are, so take a quick quiz,

and we're going to learn about those next.