Internet copyright law protects works classified as "original works of authorship" online. A copyright symbol may be used by anyone who creates an original work, however a copyright symbol does not necessarily have to be displayed in order for a work to be protected by copyright. Generally, original creative works are automatically copyrighted, except for older works considered "public domain." This can cause confusion among some web users, who may erroneously think that works which don't display a copyright notice are free to use, copy, modify, or adapt. Because of this, Internet copyright violations are common, and often occur accidentally due to confusion regarding Internet copyright law. Plagiarism and the copying of online articles, images, or other copyrighted items without proper attribution is common in cyberspace, which has led to an increase in copyright infringement claims online. Contacting the creator of an original work when possible is recommended before attempting to use a copyrighted work online.