Who owns screenshots

However, the case law is no guarantee that a copyright holder will not object to your use of thumbnail images of the copyrighted material. You should consider seeking permission for use even for thumbnail images. Many websites and software programs include contact information for requesting permission for using their copyrighted materials.

Sites may also have policies posted online that clarify the circumstances under which their copyrighted material can be used. For example, Microsoft's website includes a page describing the company's copyright policies in general along with specific guidance on using screenshots from Microsoft products. David Sarokin is a well-known specialist on Internet research.

He has been profiled in the "New York Times," the "Washington Post" and in numerous online publications. Based in Washington D. David is the author of Missed Information MIT Press, , a book exploring how better information can lead to a more sustainable future. Courts have refused to set bright-line rules regarding what is fair use.

This is mainly because the Fair Use Doctrine was codified as part of the Copyright Act Title 17 to address potential rigid application of copyright laws that could otherwise infringe on the very creative works the law was designed to promote. Since its implementation, courts have struggled to how to apply this doctrine consistently. The doctrine has been said to be so flexible as to virtually defy definition. Plagiarism v. It's very clear that if you use someone else's content and claim it as your own without sourcing it, its plagiarism because plagiarism protects ideas.

Therefore, the interpretation of fair use is mainly determined on a case by case basis. In the case of using a screen capture, even if you source the image used in your screen capture, it can still be subjected to fair use interpretation. Per Wikipedia, fair use is defined in the following way:. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders.

Examples of fair use include commentary, search engines, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship. What does all this mean? General disclaimer Project scope Allowable file types Evidence Neutral point of view Precautionary principle Pages, galleries and categories Use of gender neutral language. Blocking policy Page protection De-adminship Paid contribution disclosure Translation administrators Signatures Username policy.

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