If you reproduce, republish or redistribute something produced by someone else without the copyright holder’s permission, there’s a good chance that you are violating copyright law. Copyright is granted automatically. Registration and notice are recommended but no longer generally required by U.S. law. Publicly available information such as material posted on the Internet is not necessarily free from copyright protection. Registration is required prior to filing suit for infringement. Copyright infringement can result in court-ordered damages ranging from $250 to $150,000, plus attorney’s fees, for each act of infringement. If the infringement is considered "criminal copyright infringement," it can result in fines and jail time. The Copyright Act includes specific provisions for the use of copyright-protected materials by academic institutions.