Online publications are copyrighted just like any other creative work. This means that it's illegal to use materials from
the Web (other than short extracts taken for research/educational use) without getting permission from the copyright holder.
Pictures, writing, music or other audio, graphics and other elements of webpages are covered by this.Brand names or images could also be registered trademarks, and therefore cannot be used at all.
Owners of many websites put up by fans of pop groups, film stars or TV shows - such as the BBC's own TeleTubbies - have been surprised to receive letters from the lawyers asking them to take down copyright material used without permission.
Sometimes the copyright owners of words and images grant permission for their unlimited use, or under strict conditions such as non-commercial use, the display of a particular link, or temporary use only. You must make sure you read and understand all the copyright conditions attached to any material for which conditional use is granted - if in doubt contact the copyright holder for clarification.
Software is also copyrighted and cannot simply be downloaded and used freely. Again, free use is often granted under certain conditions, so make sure these are read and understood - even 'freeware' often has conditions attached.
When you are registering an internet domain name you also have to be careful not to infringe someone's brand name or trademark. If this is done accidentally it's usually not a problem, but if you do it on purpose (i.e. register the name of a High Street shop to attract web traffic or to sell back to the company for profit) it's known as 'cybersquatting' and has often fallen foul of the courts.
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