Copyright law is a very important and popular topic in the
Digital Age. In order for digital
citizens to act responsibly in the online world, they must understand what
copyright is. Copyright law was created
to help protect the creators of original material (2Learn, 2012). These creations include literary, dramatic,
musical, rapid, and audio-visual creations (Burt, 2011). It essentially shows who gets paid for the
creation and who pays to borrow such a creation (2Learn, 2012). Copyright infringement is when someone claims
ownership of a copyright without permission from the actual owner. Copyright infringement is a massive area in
the legal system!
In order to understand the law of copyright, North America established
a Copyright Act that has “fair dealing exemptions” where consumers have certain
rights to use copyrighted material without permission from the original owner
(MediaSmarts). The fair dealing has two
tests: it must fall under exemption and/or have fair dealing factors (MediaSmarts). Thankfully education is an area that falls
under such exemptions (MediaSmarts).
Creative Commons is the newest form of resisting copyright
law and infringement. It is a non-profit
organization that allows creators to invite certain uses of their works while
keeping the copyright (Sites2See, 2012).
It is pretty much how original owners give permission upfront for others
to use their work (Lucier). One can view
Creative Commons as the gap filler between all rights reserved and the public
domain (Lucier). The copyright symbol
acts as the red light where the Creative Commons symbol acts as the green light
to share other people’s work (Creative Commons, 2007).
There are two permissions that Creative Commons offers
copyright owners: the permission to share and the permission to remix
(Lucier). There are also several
conditions in which copyright owners consider while giving permission to their
work. These include attribution,
non-commercial, non-derivative works, and share alike (Lucier). In order to apply for a free copyright
license, digital citizens can go to www.creativecommons.org.
The amount of sites that offer media and online content with
Creative Commons licenses is increasing as the Information Age and the internet
allow digital citizens to explore so much online content (Sites2See, 2012)! A very common example of such a website would
be www.flickr.com. But there is an overwhelming amount of other Creative
Commons content directories for digital citizens to use on the World Wide Web.
The use of Creative Commons has several benefits. First, it allows digital citizens to share
creative wealth while staying digitally responsible (Lessig, 2006). It also builds a richer online culture that
is accessible to everyone (Lessig, 2006).
Creative Commons gives online users an opportunity to share, re-use, and
remix online content without worrying about copyright infringement (Lessig, 2006). It has helped to create a world where
collaboration rules!
After exploring the use of Animoto and having to find
copyright free images online, I have grown into a more responsible digital
citizen. I was never aware of the
serious consequences that arise from using other people’s online content. Isn’t everything on the internet free? If it
isn’t, then why is it still available to me?
That is like keeping a Future Shop unlocked 24 hours with no security! It
is hard for me to understand why there is such a heavy focus on copyright law
and infringement when the internet instigates using, sharing, and remixing
other people’s online content. But now
that I have learnt about the serious consequences of copyright infringement and
explored options to find copyright free content, I feel like I am going to be a
more responsible and ethical digital citizen.
Now excuse me, while I go and take down everything on the internet that
I may have stolen from others without the permission of the original owner!!!
Feedly Item:
“Viacom and YouTube Settle Lawsuit Over Copyright”
References
Burt, R. (2011). Teaching Students About
Copyright - the YouTube Way. If you
cannot view the video, go to http://youtu.be/InzDjH1-9Ns
CreativeCommons. (2007).
Get Creative. If you cannot view the video, go to:http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/getcreative/Creative_Commons_-_Get_Creative.swf
Lessig. (2006). Wanna
Work Together? If you cannot view the video, go to http://youtu.be/P3rksT1q4eg
Lucier, R. Creative
Commons: What Every Educator Needs to Know. If you cannot view the video, go tohttp://dotsub.com/view/b2ead831-4a4e-4530-94d8-381558cfecec
MediaSmarts.com (n.d.).
Fair dealing for media education. Available from http://mediasmarts.ca/intellectual-property/fair-dealing-media-education
Sites2See. (2012).
Copyright for Students (resource page). Available at http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/8587/
The 2Learn.ca Educational
Society. (2011-2012 ). Your Digital Presence. Available at http://www.2learn.ca/ydp/copyrightabout.aspx
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