How much do I have to change someone else's work to make it my own?
In North Carolina, it’s important to understand the basics of copyright law. Copyright protects the original expression of ideas, but not the ideas themselves. In other words, if you are using someone else’s work, you must change it significantly to make it your own. For example, if you are writing a song, you need to make sure that the melody, lyrics, and arrangement of the song are different from the original. You can’t just change one or two words in the song and then call it your own. You have to create a unique song that is different from the original. Similarly, if you are using someone else’s artwork, you have to make sure that you are not simply reproducing the artwork. You have to create a piece of artwork that has a unique design and can be distinguished from the original. In some cases, the changes that you make might not be enough to make the work your own. So, it’s important to be aware of these risks and to make sure that you are creating works that are significantly different from the original. Ultimately, the amount of change that you make will depend on the specific situation and the laws that apply.
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