Service Without Wages

Jeremiah 22:13

Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; [that] useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

I stopped being a cyber-pirate, years ago, when God deleted my hard drive :-) I'll have to explain that later. You might have wondered about how this stuff works for a long time now. Most people completely misunderstand copyrights. Believe me, you will want to take some time to read through this article. Check it out! Did you know-

This is according to the U.S.C. (United States Code,) the "Supreme Law of the Land," written and maintained by democratically elected representatives of the people and the states, in pursuance of the US Constitution, Article I., Section 8, Clause 8. The rights to use every original, non-obvious work of authorship created in the United States, except by the federal government, are automatically reserved exclusively to the author "the moment it [the work] is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device." (The number 4, for example, and the phrase "holy cow" are not protected by copyright because they're not original, non-obvious works of authorship- they're obvious and not original.)

The works include portions of, and entire, computer files, music (including MP3s), (including copying and pasting text), and programs. Prohibited usage includes copying, modification (revisions, and addition and deletion of portions) public display, distribution, and running of programs. Exception: Courts may allow certain rare cases of "fair use," decided on a case-by-case basis. For example, very limited usage of insignificant portions for personal education may be allowed sometimes. The only way you can use any of this work legally is:

1. You are the author.
2. The author has granted you specific written permission (a "license.")
3. Fair Use (rare.)

License Agreements

Many works include a "compulsory" license agreement, which grants "conditional permission" to everyone. In this case, if you violate any condition of the agreement, you don't have permission, and usage of the works is no longer legal. Don't "build your house by unrighteousness," and don't use your neighbor's service without paying him wages!