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More free material is offered on Microsoft's Mindshare website, microsoft.com/mindshare/default.asp, and the User Group Network, user-groups.net.
Vendors' public relations releases also are legitimate freebies for use by editors and webmasters. A caution here: it may be a disservice to members to run such material "as is." It's a form of propaganda or advertising, remember, and often gives a much rosier review than a product or service deserves. I sometimes use PR releases as a basis or background for columns, but I research and/or get hands-on experience to provide a balanced, more objective article.
Now for the no-no's.
Do not pick up magazine articles and reprint them in your newsletters or website without permission from the publication! The fact that they appear on a website does not mean they are public property.
The same goes for clipart, photos and illustrations. Unless specifically identified as available for use, free of charge, reprinting such material without permission is thievery. If you are a business owner, be aware that some material on the Web is available for reprint without charge to not-for-profit organization but not for commercial use.
Be sure to read the fine print, however on ANYTHING you reprint from the Internet. There usually are conditions attached. Some "free" material may not be used in publications that have a subscription fee, cover price or that contain paid advertising.
Quoting from external sources in articles or reviews is acceptable, if done judiciously. Use a short excerpt to illustrate a point but don't lift a significant number of pages and make it part of your article. Always identify such material by using quotation marks. Always give proper credit to the source.
Typically, publications (and books) contain language like this.
"All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by electrical or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing by the publisher."
Often, in books, this phrase appears: "except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review."
Before using any material from a Website, look for a statement that says that content on the site is freely available for copying and reprinting. Then read the fine print to be sure you understand the conditions of use. Only then can you legally and ethically copy and reprint text or images in your group or personal newsletter or Website
If you don't find such a statement, look for a button or link marked "Copyright" or "Terms of Use." In commercial Websites, such a link takes you to a statement, similar to the following, on "Reproduction of Images and Other Copyrighted Material Found on Web Sites."
"You should be aware that it is illegal to reproduce or distribute copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright owner. Accessing images or text provided on Websites does not give you any rights to use them as you wish. Only the copyright owner, or the owner's legal agent, can give you permission to copy, distribute, or publicly display protected material. The copyright owner in most cases is the creator. Images are generally owned by the photographer; text is owned by the author."
The wording may be different, but the intent is always the same: To establish legal ownership of the publication or website content, and to warn off those who attempt to copy any or all of the content that it is illegal to do so without specific permission.
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