Copyright law is designed to be flexible.  And the big deal is the difference between “tranformative” works and “derivative” works.  Transformative is usually okay…derivative is not.

Everyone borrows from everyone else…it’s how things work.  We mimic what we see and hear from the moment we are born.   The worlds greatest artists, writers and composers stand on the shoulders of those that came before them.

But where does the law draw the line?   That’s what this article is about….

Copyright Law in the Days of Downloading – WSJ.com.