411 for creatives
how not to break the law
copyright
the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same:
creative commons
The legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work.
creative work
great art work, digital, or physical talented work.
License
a permit from an authority to own or use something, do a particular thing, or carry on a trade (especially in alcoholic beverages):
"a gun license"
Plagiarize
take (the work or an idea of someone else) and pass it off as one's own.
piracy
the practice of attacking and robbing ships at sea.
public domain
the state of belonging or being available to the public as a whole, and therefore not subject to copyright:
Fair use
(in US copyright law) the doctrine that brief excerpts of copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder.