Here is a list of helpful facts concerning copyright and the Internet:

• Copyright laws apply to electronic works the same as printed works.
• Copyright begins the moment the ideas are expressed as keystrokes.
• Nearly all works on the Internet are copyrighted even though only small numbers actually display a copyright notice.

The right to make a derivative work is the right of the copyright holder. Permission should be sought before taking and manipulating graphics, artwork, or text from web sites for use in one's own works.

If you are the copyright holder or the electronic work is in the public domain, there is no problem with manipulating or copying the work. Public domain refers to objects that are not protected by copyright. There are several types of works in the public domain, primarily works on which the copyright has expired.