“Accolades for writing the most charming book on copyright certainly go to Mary E. Carter, a graphic designer who should also receive a bravery award for tackling the subject of copyright without a law degree . . . Not only does Carter navigate the legal issues with dexterity, she also shows an insider’s understanding of the audience for whom the book is intended.” – Tad Crawford Communication Arts Magazine, November 1996 Although most of us think we know something about copyright law, few of us know what's fully protected and what's not. For artists and authors, especially those who publish their work on the Web, copyright issues are now more important than ever, and the book to use as a point of reference is Electronic Highway Robbery: An Artist's Guide to Copyrights in the Digital Era. Mary E. Carter wisely says that you can't stop people from downloading your images and copying them and she points out that in some cases it doesn't matter. She also considers the notion that some people hold that copyright law is obsolete. She discusses digital watermarking; work for hire; fair use of images, including comment, parody, and criticism; and de minimis doctrine – the idea that copying an insignificant portion of an image is acceptable. This is an introductory book for anyone who wants guidance in understanding copyright law and in enforcing their own copyrights. To be warned: copyright law has morphed – some would say grotesquely – since this book was originally written in 1996. Perhaps most strikingly with the invention of AI. The reader shall be warned that with the development of Artificial Intelligence, all bets may be off when it comes to protecting, or to respecting, your own or others’ copyrights. The author recommends that you place this book on your reference bookshelves. It will be a useful tool for quickly finding and understanding the basics of copyright law. It’s worth searching for it online and although it is long out of print, many copies are listed during a quick search for Electronic Highway Robbery: An Artist's Guide to Copyrights in the Digital Era by Mary E. Carter. Paperback: 232 pages ISBN-0-201-88393-7 Out of print but copies may be available online