The 10% Myth
Occassionally there are ideas that become so pervasive that you think that they must be true. Virtually anyone I meet that has a copyright question has been told that "as long as you change it 10%, it is not copyright infringement." Unfortunately for those who copy and fortunately for those who create, the 10% theory is simply not true.
The real test for copyright infringement is if an ordinary customer would believe the material of substance and value has been appropriated. In some situations minor changes are adequate to avoid copyright infringement. In other cases, copyright infringement is present even if most of the work has been changed. Many software cases are fought over relatively minor portions of code that appear to be copied.
The moral of the story is, either buy it or create you own. Copying and making minor revisions will set you up for an ugly surprise.
When you think about it, copying is simply a matter of integrity. Why will people who would never steal a loaf of bread feel justified steeling a computer program, a design, or a house plan by copying it? The real test of integrity is what we will do when we think we won't get caught.
The real test for copyright infringement is if an ordinary customer would believe the material of substance and value has been appropriated. In some situations minor changes are adequate to avoid copyright infringement. In other cases, copyright infringement is present even if most of the work has been changed. Many software cases are fought over relatively minor portions of code that appear to be copied.
The moral of the story is, either buy it or create you own. Copying and making minor revisions will set you up for an ugly surprise.
When you think about it, copying is simply a matter of integrity. Why will people who would never steal a loaf of bread feel justified steeling a computer program, a design, or a house plan by copying it? The real test of integrity is what we will do when we think we won't get caught.
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