Copyright Infringement - Stop and check before you Copy and Paste
Get Super-speed Broadband Internet for just $20 a month!
Great sites to check out in June
Safeguard your computer against dangers on the Internet
Government to stop collecting long distance tax
The Internet makes it easier than ever to use or redistribute information created by others. But is it okay for your child to include statistics from a website in a school report, or an employee to copy text from a website for use in your company newsletter? The answers depend on a number of factors including what is used, how it's used, and whether you have permission.
Copyright infringement occurs when you reproduce or republish information without permission from the person or organization that owns the legal rights to it. Penalties may range from warnings and mandatory removal of all references to costly fines.
Publicly available information such as material posted on the Internet is not necessarily free from copyright protection. If you find something on a website that you'd like to use (such as a document or chart), search for a "terms of use" page that explains how you are allowed to use information from the site. You can often find a link to this page in the site's contact information or privacy policy. If you can't locate the terms of use, or if it seems unclear, contact the individual or organization that holds the copyright to ask permission.
Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.
To learn more about legal use of copyrighted materials, visit: http://copyright.gov.
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Race to the Theater to See Cars http://carsthemovie.com- Get your motors running! Opening this month is the fast-paced family film Cars from Disney and PIXAR, makers of The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. The comedy's plot is driven by Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie racecar determined to win and get the perks that come with it. Other offbeat characters include a 2002 Porsche (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), a 1951 Hudson Hornet (voiced by Paul Newman), and a rusty tow truck (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy). Take a spin through this site to enter the "Showroom" and check out the cast of cars, or test-drive the interactive games. Rated PG.
The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth http://calgarystampede.com- Round up your kin and lasso a good time at the Calgary Stampede, July 7-16 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This annual outdoor celebration is a wild mix of Western Canadian heritage with dynamic contemporary entertainment. Visitors from around the world come for the fun, featuring a million-dollar rodeo, chuckwagon races, and impressive grandstand shows with artists including Kenny Chesney. Want to kick up your heels and join in? Here’s where to view the event schedule, buy tickets, look at travel packages, and even get your cowboy nickname at the "Nickname Generator."
Red, White, and Blue with Red Skelton http://www.poofcat.com/july.html - We're in a patriotic season with Flag Day this month and Independence Day in July. It's a fitting time to take a few minutes and reflect on what the Pledge of Allegiance really says. This site contains an audio recording of the late comedian Red Skelton, sharing his memory of a childhood teacher's explanation of each word in the Pledge. Turn up your audio – you won't want to miss a moment of this heartfelt story.
Big Fun with Miniature Golf http://prominigolf.com/links.html- Wherever you travel this summer, you'll probably be a small distance from a miniature golf course complete with windmills, tiny houses, and trick holes. To find these little treasures, check out the links on this site to courses in the U.S. and Canada. Be sure to visit the history page for fun facts like this – after the stock market crash of '29, regulation minigolf courses became too expensive for most people to afford so ingenious holes were created by using scavenged materials such as old tires, wagon wheels, and rusty stove pipes. This became the model for the obstacle-laden miniature golf courses we think of today.
Have You Zillowed Yet? http://www.zillow.com- Get out your address book and get ready to zillow. This popular new site lets you enter a home's address and instantly see an aerial photographic map showing that neighborhood and giving estimated values for each home. Valuations for more than 65,000,000 U.S. homes are here, with data available for larger metropolitan areas like L.A., Seattle, and Boston. Curious how your home compares with your old college roommate's? Here’s your chance to find out. Plus, get a bird's eye view of famous dwellings like the split-level house from The Brady Bunch.
Web criminals get smarter every day, and we urge you to visit our Security Site to quickly and easily learn how to protect yourself. Please go to http://www.grics.net and click on Gallatin Security Site in the left hand column.
Here you’ll learn how to protect yourself from pesky spam messages and also how to guard against dangerous viruses. Lately, we’re hearing more about “Trojan horses,” which can be hidden inside software downloads, email attachments, and even on web pages. Once “Trojans” enter your computer, these programs can capture information such as a banking password and send it back to a web thief.
How do you protect yourself? Take a few basic precautions:
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• Be wary of unfamiliar web links sent via email.
• Avoid questionable downloads.
• Keep up to date with Windows patches.
• Keep up to date with anti-virus updates.
Again, visit our Security Site and click on “Viruses and Trojans” in the blue left-hand column for more information. We also recommend the Microsoft security home page: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx Have fun on the Internet – but be careful out there.
The U.S. Government is conceding a legal dispute over the federal excise tax on long distance telephone service.
What does this mean?
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• Effective August 1, 2006, telecom providers including Gallatin River
Communications will stop collecting the 3% excise tax on all
long distance services.
• The Internal Revenue Service will issue refunds of taxes paid on long distance service for the past three years. Taxpayers will be able to apply for refunds on their 2006 tax forms, which will be filed in 2007.
What do our customers need to do now?
No immediate action is required by taxpayers. We and other telecom
providers will stop collecting the tax as soon as we are allowed
to stop, which is August 1. Claims for refunds will be filed in 2007.
How much will customers be able to claim in refunds?
Refund claims will cover all excise tax paid on long distance
service over the last three years. Interest will be paid on refunds.
How will customers claim refunds?
Refunds will be part of 2006 tax returns, which will be filed in 2007.
The IRS is working on a simplified method for individuals to claim a refund on their 2006 tax returns. This method will allow taxpayers to request a “safe harbor” amount instead of the actual amount of tax paid for long distance service. This method doesn’t require the taxpayer to submit supporting documentation. The IRS has not yet announced the safe harbor amount.
What about taxes paid on local service?
Refunds will not include tax paid on local telephone service, which
was not involved in the legal dispute. The tax will continue to be
collected on local service.
Will residential customers need copies of their bills for the past
three years?
No. The simplified method still undevelopment by the IRS does not
require copies of bills.
We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on some of the latest happenings. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, send us an e-mail at and type REMOVE in the subject line.
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Gallatin River Internet