Fair Use and Copyright

The rules of fair use and copyright essentially say that not everyone can use another person’s work at any time for any reason, particularly without permission. There are perimeters within which borrowing or using another person’s work is permissible, namely in education or in a private setting. However, the perimeters rarely extend even close to as far as most people assume. The intellectual property of people is closely protected in the United States for up to a century or more, and according to the rules of fair use and copyright, citing one’s source is not enough. One must also ask for permission from the owners.

These rules ought to have a greater impact on me because I am a Christian! Whether or not they actually do greatly depends on the extent of my knowledge of them and as of this moment, I know very little. That does not negate the fact that I ought to be more of an example to the rest of society when it comes to following the rules, but it does make obedience to the laws of the land more difficult.