Evaluating Risks

Risks of misuse:

• Lawsuits
• Fines
• Imprisonment
• Impact on publication

What will happen if you use a work without permission? Will you get caught? Will you get sued? A consequence of using a work without permission is that you may get caught and yes, you may get sued. If misuse is found to be willful, criminal charges could apply as well as civil.

Copyright content can be very valuable and owners may routinely search to see if their material is being used without permission and may take steps to enforce their rights. You also may find it difficult to publish a work or license a work to others if you can't show you have permission to use works created by others.