Warning!

A lobbying group in Washington recently released "The Netsurfer's Simple Guide To Copyrights," which distills U.S. copyright law into five maxims:

  • If you didn't create a written work, art, photograph, or music, or obtain distribution rights to it, you don't own it.

  • If you don't own it, you can't copy or distribute it.

  • The author or owner must explicitly relinquish rights for a work to be placed in the public domain.

  • Fair use allows copying of small portions of a work without the owner's permission, but only for criticism, education, and news reporting.

  • When in doubt, ask for permission to use a work.

My Notice:

© 2000 Diatom Graphics TM, 10400 Lindsay Lane, Auburn Township, Ohio, 44023, USA,  Tel 440-543-6805 All Rights Reserved. For Information on web design services, website hosting, or problems with this site, send e-mail to: Diatom or visit http://www.wiwfarm.com/wsd.htm

Reproduction of illustrations on this web site by any means (including electronic, mechanical, recording by an information storage and retrieval system, derivative art and artistic rendering) is prohibited. The use of any illustration on this web site for any purpose whatever requires the express permission in writing by Tom Jones / Diatom Graphics.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that if your purpose is non-profit, educational or conservation oriented, and if you ask, I'll probably say yes.