piracy and copyright

the unauthorized use or reproduction of another's work

• Computer software obtained that should be paid for but was obtained for free is an example of piracy.
• Online ROMs (such as those made for old games) are also illegal as they are obtained free copies of existing copyright material and therefore is an example of piracy. 

• Images and photographs obtained on the internet may, and more likely are, subject to copyright.
• This means that without the permission of the original creator, using this image will be breaking the law.
• A Google Image Search may also return several images that are subject to copyright, so be careful using this tool.

• Even text is subject to copyright and anything you copy from the Internet or a book needs to be checked for copyright first.
• Sometimes it is necessary to quote the text before using it, but attribution must also be made to the original author.

• There are huge risks associated with copyright, even when you are at school (for example, a person submitted some coursework which contained plagerised content and failed the course)
• Always check any sources to ensure they aren't copyrighted before using them.

• There are legitimate sources of material and there are also sources of media that do not include copyright at all.
• Take a look at the following websites for free to use materials:
  • iconarchive.com
  • pixabay.com
  • pexels.com