FOCUS ON WRITING. Technical communicators can now find many sources of graphics, sounds, and photographs on the web. But which ones can be reproduced and which cannot? How do you know when you need permission to use an image or graphic in a brochure or on a website? And how do you go about requesting such permission?
For the first part of this assignment, use a search engine to locate sources of images and graphics on the web, beginning with the websites listed here. Explore these sites to determine which offer copyright-free images and which do not. Compile a list of your findings and create a handout (or a website) to share this list with your class.
Second, develop a set of guidelines based on information you find on the sites listed here. These guidelines should explain how to assess whether or not a particular image requires permission to be reproduced. Share these guidelines with your class and discuss how to use images and documents found on the web while respecting the copyrights and intellectual property of others.
• www.pbase.ca
Canada Stock Photos, a webpage that contains hundreds of photos of various subjects.
• www.clip-art.com
Links to dozens of sources for clip art and animation files.
• www.cpsr.org
Homepage of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility.
• www.cipo.ic.gc.ca
Homepage of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.