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:

© 2006 Jerry Jones, 5250 Gulfton, Suite 2F, Houston, Texas 77081, Tel 713.668.4328
All Rights Reserved. For Information on stock photography, assignment photography, web design services, or problems with this site, send e-mail to:
jerry at jonesimages.com (no spaces, substitute "@" for "at")

Reproduction of images on this web site by any means (including electronic, mechanical, recording by an information storage and retrevial system, derivative art and artistic rendering) is prohibited. The use of any image on this web site for any purpose whatever requires the express permission in writing by Jerry Jones / jonesimages

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.

If you want to know more, or just enjoy reading legalese, visit the U.S. Copyright Office Home Page.