WK 1 Reading - Copyright Issues
"If
you can create it, then you have the right to protect it and legally
claim it as your own." This is the legal definition of copyright. So,
what does it mean? Well, any copyrightable materials are works such as
audio, books, artwork, plays, movies and videos. Only the owner has the
right to use and reuse his/her work without permission. I was surprised
to learn that dance can also be copyrighted along with movies, film, and
music. Are Michael Jackson's moves copyrighted? What about MC Hammer? I
can think of a few others, but I'm sure you get my point. A copyright
for a company lasts for 100 years and a lifetime plus 70 years for an
individual owner. That is quite a long time. It seems that copyright is
all about money and not about creativity. In Brazil, artists are more
interested in becoming popular by allowing their music to be mixed and
played at large parties and clubs. If the audience likes the music, the
artist will be able to perform in a concert where he/she can make some
big money. In the US, pirating and mixing music is a crime. What does
that say about our country?
As an educator, we are not covered by the tag, "All images, clips, and
audio captured are intended for educational use only." As stated in the
videos I watched, if I can remove the copyrighted material and still
teach the lesson, then that usage doesn't fall under the Fair Use
umbrella. I would have to obtain permission from the original author or
owner. With fair use, I can borrow a small amount of copyrighted work
for teaching, news reporting, parody (comedy), and critical comment
(Walter Cronkite type of stuff). Fair use is only a legal defensible
position, not a right. I have to follow certain rules as with everything
else. In short, how I use it and how much I use. It is very important
to remember to always give credit to the original creator. Creative
Commons (
creativecommons.org)
is a great place to look for this type of material. On this site, you
can find all types of works that you are free to use as long as you site
the source and give credit. Symbols of the creative commons license
inform users how they are allowed to use the work. The owners are giving
us permission to use their work in different creative ways instead of
stifling our creativity. I really like the TED talk by Larry Lessig.
What caught my attention the most was what he said about John Philip
Sousa. What great foresight Sousa had about where our culture was
headed, from a Read/Write society to a Read/Only society. This is so
true in many areas. The kids of today are trying to tell us that they
want to be allowed to have the right to be creative in any way they
choose, but it is our job to teach them the correct and legal way in
which to express their creativity. I feel confident that now I am able
to do just that.
WK 1 Copyright Issues
Copyright laws have to be placed with some of the most frustrating laws
to date. There is so much grey area with copyrighting that someone can clearly
cross the line unknowingly. The 10 big myths discussed are perfect examples of
commonly used statements I always hear. Most of the comments are from
professionals who really have no idea that they’re breaking the law. I know
I’ve heard my brother, the music producer, say a lot of those statements within
the last 10 years. I have already contacted him and informed him to re-review
his copyright teachings.
What is the purpose of copyright
law you ask? The purpose is to promote the progress of useful arts by
protecting the rights of the inventors, which allows them to reap full benefits
from their work. Types of work include art, videos, audio productions, and
screen play productions. Items that are not protected include improves and
dances not videotaped. After listening to this definition, I started to think
about all of the musical artist who were hustled by corporations, loosing their
copyrights to a masterpiece. One video stated that an individuals copyright last
for a lifetime plus 70 years and a companies last for 100 years. That is beyond
a long time for an artist to regain ownership of their works.
I was shocked to see how the rest of the worldviews piracy and laws set
up to defend copyrighted works. I was even shocked to see that Nigeria set the
bar as the worlds no. 1 producer of movies with the least amount of copyright
infringements. This was an eye opener, especially since America sits at no. 3. I
really like how musical artist around the world are working with each other for
the common good of producing music. This brings me to Creative Common. This has
to be the most effective way to ensure your work remains protected while giving
others the opportunity to sample, modify, or build from without stealing. I
have never heard of this company, but I will surely utilize materials protected
under them for now on.
Each video allowed me to reminisce about my undergraduate business
courses that discussed minor details of this law. Unfortunately, those courses
barely touched all of the extensive information displayed. This lesson has
really opened my eyes to what is actually considered copyright infringement and
what’s acceptable. My perception of acceptable handling of copyrighted material
has dramatically changed now. I think these videos would’ve been excellent
during the start of EMDT. I know now that I have walked a thin line during my
matriculation through this program. From here on, I plan to further gain an
understanding of what is acceptable when dealing with copy written material.
