For Marci and everyone confused about the elusive issue of
copyright:
When you create an original work it is protected by copyright.
Registering the copyright is not mandatory; however, your rights
to collect damages may be limited. The best you will
find is at Ten Big Myths about Copyright Explained at http://mx.nsu.ru/FAQ/F-law-copyright-myths/Q0-1.html
Re: putting “do not copy” notices on your webpage is all fine
and good, but it really doesn’t do anything unless you have an
add-on that can “track” people downloading pics and stuff, and I
have no idea where to get them. You can, however, disable the
"save picture as" option when people right click on pics, but I’m
not sure how (best brush up on both our HTML ). If people are
going to steal your ideas (which is what I think you’re getting
at?) they will, and there’s nothing you can really do except not
post pictures. It’s the same reason my professor instructed all
of us to get our own vulcanizers and do our own rubber molds –
apparently, making an off-the-record copy of an interesting
design isn’t unheard of in this business if you send it away to
have one made.
A note on copyrights, as well: even if you DO get a copyright,
all someone has to do is change the metal, or the stone, or make
it a six-prong setting, or something piddly, and it all of a
sudden doesn’t infringe. It’s basically useless, as far as all
sources I’ve spoken with have to say. I sincerely
hope someone else has something to say on this, because I realize
this sounds all very negative.
). If people are