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Is That Free Offer Legit? Tips that Can Help Everyone loves the chance to cash in some great free stuff, but navigating the world of freebie offers, especially online, can be like navigating a minefield. Unfortunately, a lot of people out there use the love others have of taking advantage of free deals to scam them out of money or personal details that can be used in identity theft scams. All of this gloom and doom doesn?t mean that you have to give up on free things altogether, however. The good news is that there are some simple, common sense steps you can take protect yourself from online freebie scammers. These tips will help give you the confidence that you can enjoy taking advantage of free offers without the fear of ending up facing some negative consequences. First and foremost, when you are checking out a free offer on the Internet, take a closer look at the website, beyond just reading the words and figuring out what you have to do get the free goods. Does the website look like it was made by a professional, with some consideration, or does it look like a five minute amateur job? Are typos and clip art the order of the day, or does it look like a website any business would be proud to call its own? What about the web address ? is a domain name that matches the business the website claims to represent, or is a ?free? domain address that includes the name of the domain company in the address? All of these factors can be red flags that determine the difference between a scam and a legitimate free offer. If the website looks half hearted or doesn?t seem to exactly ?match? the company it purports to represent, then don?t even think about trying to get anything from it. When you?re reasonably sure that the website is actually the front of a legitimate business, it?s time to turn your attention to the privacy policy of the website. The best privacy policies guarantee you that the email address you use to sign up for this offer will not be shared with any other companies ? but when it comes to free stuff, those kinds of privacy policies are few and far between. Many companies cover the costs of the free things you get by selling your email address to other companies that may have offers you they think you might be interested in. If you can?t find a privacy policy that lets you opt out of getting unwanted solicitations, at least make sure the site is secure and that any personal information can?t be obtained by hackers. Other things to look out for when you?re looking for freebies is products that are free but that require you to pay a shipping charge that seems beyond the pale for what it should cost to ship and freebie offers that seem to ask for way more information than needed for what the product actually is. Twenty pages of personal information for a travel size bottle of shampoo? That doesn?t make sense, and it should set off warning bells in your head. All of these red flags aside, giving out some amount of personal information comes part and parcel with freebie offers. There are a few things you can do to make life easier on yourself. Set up an email account that you will use specifically for freebie offers so all of the inevitable spam doesn?t clog up your main account. Use a phony phone number (preferably one that can?t be anyone else?s, like one that starts with 555). Last but not least, if you?re unsure about an offer, keep on moving. Better safe than sorry.

Music copyright infringement How Does Music Copyright Infringement Affect Me? Music copyright infringement happens all around us every day, by both well meaning people downloading music from their favorite social networking site to the guy who?s reselling MP3s. To be certain, most people who commit music copyright infringement don?t realize what?s going on, and are in turn doing something very illegal and prosecutable in the United States. Copyright Infringement, as defined by Wikipedia.org states: ?Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unauthorized use of material that is protected by intellectual property rights law particularly the copyright in a manner that violates one of the original copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. The slang term bootleg (derived from the use of the shank of a boot for the purposes of smuggling) is often used to describe illicitly copied material.? We?ve all heard of ?bootleg? recordings ? usually audio recordings taken from concerts and sold on home made cassettes or CDs and distributed (sometimes out of the trunk of a car) to anyone that will buy. Bootleg recordings have changed, however, as music copyright infringement has branched into video recordings. Music copyright infringement has exploded with the advent of the internet, and now people from all over the world are sharing every type of imaginable file ? from eBooks to audio to music ? and small label artists began feeling the pinch years ago. However, many new and older artists are beginning to see the beauty of the internet, and are offering their music for sale track-by-track on iTunes and other MP3 sales websites, as well as through their own band websites and MySpace pages. The internet has exploded in the possibilities it?s given up and coming musicians to become visible, while at the same time drastically increasing the number of music copyright infringement cases ? some of which were against innocent people who just weren?t informed. Music copyright infringement cases have helped to create organizations that protect the fair use of an item, such as a song. Organizations such as CreativeCommons.com and the Electronic Frontier Foundation help individuals to know their rights under copyright acts. While there are organizations that help you understand your rights as a purchaser of copyright use, there are organizations that want to limit the ways in which you use the products you buy. It is rumored, for example, that record distribution and production companies want to limit the ways in which you use the music you buy ? they don?t want you to put it on your computer or make a Mix Tape or CD from it ? for fear of ?sharing.? It seems to me, however, when music publishers and distribution companies limit uses like this, they?re opening up a tidal wave of music copyright infringement cases. By limiting the use of purchased material, the companies are alienating their client base and pushing all their sales away from physical products and toward electronic ones ? which are much harder to control. A way in which these companies tried to limit the uses was by creating a DRM program, which severely limited the where a CD could be played (on one computer, for instance). And, in one drastic measure, Sony placed a DRM program on all their CDs in the Winter of 2005, and severely crippled several networks when their ?program? was actually malware that seriously crippled network security. As you can see, music copyright infringement is something that is currently being fought between end users and music production and distribution companies. In this new century, we must find a way to retain copyright, and allow the customers to use the products they buy in a meaningful way, or otherwise the market will shift and the industry as we know it will be abandoned.

Check Out Powerhouse Wal-Mart's Free Offer Page Are you a Wal-Mart fan looking for the best in freebies and special offers? If so, you are in luck. Although Wal-Mart is not typically considered one of the best sources for freebies or coupon shopping, this giant corporation has recently stepped up its promotions, making many dedicated freebie hunters very happy. Here are some tips on getting the best shot at the best Wal-Mart freebies and promotions. Bookmark the Wal-Mart Promotions Page for Easy Access to Freebies and Deals Wal-Mart, like many other companies, has begun to dedicate a special section of their webpage specifically to free offers, along with other deals and promotions. This page is definitely worth checking out on a regular basis. Bookmark this website if you are serious about getting the latest and greatest Wal-Mart deals and promotions. Some of the offers on the page will be around for a months, while others may disappear in a matter of days. Part of the thrill of being a freebie hunter is being vigilant and not letting the best deals slip away from you. You might even consider setting up your very own freebie calendar to make sure that not one good deal slips by you. Tips and Hints for Getting the Best Free Offers from Wal-Mart If you are new to the world of freebie offers, or you have never visited the Wal-Mart site before, here are some tips for getting the best out of Wal-Mart freebie offers. The Wal-Mart free offers webpage is a great resource if you are really interested in Wal-Mart promotions and freebies. Begin by selecting the offers that interest you more. Once you click on a specific offer, you will have to wait for the page to load that provides you with all the details of the offer. Somewhere on the details page?sometimes you have to hunt around for it?you will find a link for the free sample. Once you click on this free sample link, you will get a pop-up window that provides you with the free offer request form. Make sure that you have enabled pop-up windows so that you do not miss out on any special offers or deals. Figuring Out the Tricks of the Wal-Mart Free Offers Page Some freebie hunters have expressed confusion with the Wal-Mart free offer page. That is, some consumers have complained that the page is often difficult to get to, or that it will not load property. To make sure that you don't have trouble with this important resource, you will want to make certain that you are accessing the page with an updated browser over a secure high speed Internet connection. Although you will probably be able to access the free offers webpage with an older web browser over a slower Internet connection, you will probably be more likely to run into snags. The easiest way to get to the page is to bookmark it directly. Otherwise, you will probably have to take several moments to search for it if you only return to the website periodically. The Wal-Mart front page is crowded with text, images and promotions, which can make it difficult to get to the free offers page. Remember to refresh the bookmarked free offer page every time that you return to it, just to make sure that you are looking at the freshest offers. Are There Any Risks Associated with Getting Freebies from Wal-Mart? If you are concerned about your privacy, you may wonder whether there are any known risks associated with requesting information directly from the Wal-Mart free offers page. Read the company's privacy policy carefully if this is a major concern. The company states that they will not share or sell your personal information. However, be aware that the company may send you their own marketing and promotional materials. You may also receive email mailings.