This week's course dealt with a variety of issues, one of which was copyright usage. To me, this is an issue that potentially scares me down the road, and I think that the reason is due to the negligence of copyright usage in the real world.
Take a look at a good number of profile images used for blogs, posting and discussion threads, and other forms of displaying one's personality. There are a large number of images pulled right from other sites or threads, and I doubt that the original artist gave consent. Is this copyright infringement? Or should it not count, because it's only an image? It's a question that I hope I have the right answer to, but that's not a big confidence booster...
Furthermore, as a teacher, I assign various projects throughout the year for my students using Publisher, Power Point, and other forms of media. Part of me gets concerned every time that my students pulled images onto their reports. I become more nervous because I publish their work online so that their families can see what their child creates. I have to really go through a child's work to make sure that it's legal. This week alone, I caught one kid who tried to turn in a project that was COMPLETELY copied from a website. I can only imagine what would happen with a teacher that isn't technologically savvy.
Overall, I worry because I dread getting that letter in the mail from an angry author or photographer demanding payment for usage of their likeliness or work, even if it wasn't me. I guess that I'm more worried that it could happen to one of my kids (you see those people who get nailed for downloading music, so never say never...)
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1 comment:
No, don't be scared. Be smart. Copyright is confusing - no question. - but is sounds like you are already being proactive with your students by reviewing their work before publishing. It's so important for you and your students to cite media and ideas appropriately. Another consideration for your is your students' permission. Have they granted you the right to put their work on your web page? That might be a good exercise for them to experience - signing a form giving you permission to show their work. It's not officially legal until they are 18 year old; however, it's a good way to show them you value their intellectual property.
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