Unit 30 Task 6

Task 6

Explain some of the legal pitfalls in using and editing graphics.Essentially, this is about copyright issues and gaining permission to use copyright products.You also need to cover 'TradeMark' and 'Intellectual property'.

(P6) 7th March

Legal Pitfalls

If someone has taken a picture or video, made a movie or a drawing, or designed a graphic on their computer, then they own the copyright to that picture. When a graphic has been copyrighted then there is very little you can actually do with this graphic without having to contact the original creator of the graphic. Using one graphic from a collection or a low-quality part of the graphic complies with 'fair-use'. Going against the 'fair-use' and copyright policies will be classed as 'plagiarism', which is when you make your own version of a famous graphic and then attempt to pass it off as your own or directly copy the image. However, if a graphic is released into the public or it is released under a license which allows modification, then these pitfalls don't come into play.

TradeMark

Trademarks are used to obtain exclusive right and property of a product or service. However, if the trademark is deemed as offensive or false-advertising then the owner of the trademark could have serious legal consequences to face. A trademark must be legally registered first, and after this is done, if the trademark is plagiarised in any way then the owner will be able to take legal action for trademark infringement. Typical trademarks include names, words, phrases, logos, symbols, graphic designs and images.

Intellectual Property

This is a legal concept in which exclusive rights are recognised. Intellectual property (IP) is the umbrella term for many types, such as patent, copyright, industrial design rights and trademarks. Under this law owners are granted exclusive rights to their property, which can be things such as music, literature, art, inventions, images or graphic designs.