As a person who creates ppt and other technical communication pieces for other people... I offer this:

1. Ideas and facts placed on powerpoint are typically not eligible for copyright.  Your can not copyright public domain nor ideas.   The presentation (how you organized it, template etc is open for copyright, but not the information if you are using public domain info-... facts)
2. The internet is not public domain.  Just because you found it on the internet does not make it public domain.  So unless you created it, you can not use it without permission.  This includes magazine covers, youtube videos, pictures, etc.  (you may use the material under Fair Use Act but only if you meet ALL the criteria)
3. Just because you give credit to the source, does not mean you have permission to use it.  You are actually just stating who you stole the materials from.
4. Instead of giving a copy of your powerpoint slides (usually too small for anyone to read anyway), give a one page synopsis of what they must go home knowing and a reference sheet.  I once went to a conference where they placed 9 slides to a page.  The type was soo small, it was a waste of paper.
5. If you are being paid for the presentation, or you are gaining something for giving the presentation... you best have copyright permission.  
6. Copyright is created at the time the works is created.  You do not literally have to have copyright written on the works, nor do you have to register it.  You should, but you don't have to. So if you think it is fair game cuz there is no copyright written on it... your wrong.
7. You can not copy pages of a book and give them to someone.  You must have an agreement with the owner of the copyright to do so. Libraries pay for the honor to do so but under strict provisions.  This is why the Kinkos guy refuses to make copies of that book for you and there is that big sign by the copy machine.
8. if you created the materials for a gov position... it is under the public domain- available for the public.
9. If you made the presentation on your employer's time... it's your employer's decision not yours on what happens with the material.  (unless you have a contract that says it is yours). 
10. You can't charge for your powerpoint slides if you did not create the template for the slide- you can't resell Microsoft PPT templates  (That true for the clipart too.)

These are but a few of the copyright issues that we need to be thinking of.  I can't tell you how many bf presentations I have been to where people have taken images from the internet instead of paying for them, people place things on their website that were created by others, I have even had chapters of  books given to attendees in a professional bf class that were obviously copied without permission.   I don't think people really pay attention to the unethical "borrowing" of materials.  There are plenty of free materials available, so I am not sure why people continue to steal.  Now a days it is very easy, even from PDFs. The good thing is technology is making it easier to detect when someone has taken your intellectual property.  It is so much easier to just ask for permission in writing or pay a dollar for a photo than to "borrow it."

You could take it as a compliment that someone would like to use your materials. At least someone is asking you for the materials, instead of just reproducing it.  Graciously let them know you worked very hard on it and have a policy not to share the creative materials.  Choose who you want your hard work to go to.  As a professional, we should not only abide by the law, but respect our fellow professional's work.

just something to think about- Renee Palting, RN, IBCLC

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