Alexandra Wolfe's Blog, page 41

Tree Project – Day 88

Tree Project – image 88

Heavy, dark, damp, overcast and yes, raining. And even if it is only a light drizzle, it looks sombre outside today. The trees look forlorn against grey skies, dark and brooding.

Tree Project – Day 87

Tree Project – image 87

Cool and, for the most part, clear today. Also, it feels a little warmer than yesterday, maybe because there is not much of a breeze. There is a light cloud cover but nothing blocking the sunshine.

Tree Project – Day 86

Tree Project – image 86

The temperature is a brisk minus 9 outside this morning, and I’m late taking my photo of the trees, which has resulted in the sun being at just the right angle to give my tree a delightful purple halo … another bright, cold, sunny autumnal day!

Tree Project – Day 85

Tree Project – image 85

Cold, brisk, clear with blue skies, my, we are doing well, again, given the promised snow is falling in areas all about us. Poor Montreal is experiencing a light dusting while we, further north, are bathed in brilliant sunshine. I’m sure my trees are content.

Tree Project – Day 84

Tree Project – image 84

Another bright, sunny, beautiful autumnal day. Brisk and breezy, but the cold factor is off-set by the fact the skies are clear. But once again, we’re back down into the minus 5-6 degree territory. Still, we haven’t had any snowfall and no, no storm came yesterday despite the dire predictions.

Tree Project – Day 83

Tree Project – image 83

Wild, blustery, and cold. The privacy hedge, never mind the trees, are being given a thrashing. And large grey and white storm clouds are chasing across an otherwise blue sky. So that we’re running a gamut of sunshine, sleet and occasional rain. Time to stay indoors and enjoy the show.

Tree Project – Day 82

Tree Project – image 82

Crisp, cool weather and clear blue skies with barely a breath of wind, so another beautiful autumnal day. A surprise given the forecast of snowy weather they’ve been predicting was coming our way. Not that I’m complaining. I’ll take this, and more, go out for a walk too!

As I’m late taking this shot, the sun is at the wrong angle against my cluster of trees, upshot, a haloed image. Though maybe, these are sainted trees.

Tree Project – Day 81

Tree Project – image 81

Well, it might feel warmer if we didn’t have a nippy wind blowing out of the north … or snow on its way! Otherwise, it is dry and overcast and we’re expecting rain for later this afternoon prior to that 15-30cm of the wet fluffy stuff. Lovely!

Copyright Terms

AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A WRITER

(a primer)

1. IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

What it means: In the Public Domain refers to a work that is no longer protected by copyright law and, therefore, is now available, without fees, to the public. As is the bulk of Arthur Conan Doyle’s, Sherlock Holmes stories and key elements, which have passed into the Public Domain. Meaning, writers are now free to use certain names and key elements in their own works without prior written consent and payment of fees to an estate.

How it is mis-used: Many authors are under the mistaken belief that in the Public Domain, is how they should refer to their work(s) offered via a library, online, or as downloadable content. This is not the case. Work(s) available to the public or publicly available can, in some instances, be free, but are usually paid-for works … and therefore, not in the public domain. As in, absolutely free for anyone to do what they want with.

2. FAIR USE

What it means: There are parameters as to what someone can, and cannot do (an infringement of the copyright) with a work but, within the limit of the law, people have a ‘fair right’ use as long as there is no infringement of the Copyright holders’ rights.

How it is mis-used: ‘Fair Use’ has become synonymous with the theft of work, online. Where someone (quite often living in another country) uploads a work to their website, and even though they might credit you as being the author, have published the entire work without your consent. Or is as usual, without credit to you, the author, even going so far as to claim the work as their own.

It is usual to assume ‘Fair Use’ is for quoting and or publishing brief excerpt and or paragraphs, with relevant permission to do so, when reviewing and or writing about an author’s work.

3. COPYRIGHT

What it means: A work, the minute you have written it, is copyrighted to you. It is a defined set of ‘rights’, covered by law, that a creator has in a creative work of authorship, intellectual property, that is fixed in a tangible medium of expression, whether it’s a book, music, painting, software, or movie.

Copyrights are fixed in law, have a length of enforcement depending on the medium and, where a written work is concerned, starts the minute you start writing. But be aware, only when a work is finished and published do those rights have extra weight. Meaning, at any time along that road to publication, those rights have grey areas. As in characters and names, situations, integral story elements, and setting that you think are wholly unique to you and your work, that might not be. Someone might have, independently, come up with similar key elements at the same time as you, and yet, managed to get published before you.

It’s happened.

It’s one of those niggling reasons Agents and Publishers have you sign a ‘waiver’ when sending them an MS to read and evaluate.

No one wants to be accused of stealing. You included. Be aware of your rights, be aware of what copyright is, and how it’s applied.

Tree Project – Day 80

Tree Project – image 80

Today reflects the oncoming weather we’re expecting for the weekend. It’s heavy and dark, and threatening rain later this afternoon. It’s fair warm in comparison to the last few days, but that only belies what’s to come: snow!

Time to bundle up.