Dealing with the Complexity of Multimedia

With today's technology, we can combine video, text, sound, and other media in ways that are interesting, even exciting. Still, there are limits to what we can do because of laws that cover such things as copyright and intellectual property, and care should be taken not to infringe on existing rights or abuse laws. The World-Wide Web and other mediums for multimedia place a wealth of information at our fingertips. As you browse through the Web or a CD--containing games, software, text, fonts, etc.--remember that ease of duplication, display, and distribution in no way condones the infringement of other people's rights.

Below is a table that summarizes the various laws that protect the different media. (The table is not all-inclusive because of the differences in the laws of both states and countries, but it serves as a good starting place.)