Week #1 - Reading - Copyright

It's Not About Usage, It's About Permission

Learning more about copyright is something I have wanted to do for awhile.  My students create a lot of projects using information and media assets from the Internet.   After viewing this week's videos and reading the article, US government finally admits piracy estimates are bogus, I am in a much better position to share information with my students.

Brad Templeton's website on 10 Myths About Copyright Explained (http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html) answered many questions about how and when another person's creation can be used.  The statement it's not about usage, it's about permission was a great summary of why we have copyright and how to obtain the rights to use another's work.

After watching this week's videos and doing the reading I have a much better understanding of what copyright is and isn't.  It is important to get permission before using another person's work.  At the same time the video, Good Copy/Bad Copy, shared valuable information about copyright problems in the music industry and movie industry.  It showed the need for changes in copyright to keep up with advances in technology.  The example of the Suisse being getting around US copyright law shows the need for reform.  It was fascinating to find out Nigeria produces almost twice as many videos each year as the United States and Nigeria has no copyright laws.  Ideas like Creative Commons and paying a yearly fee for media usage to compensate artists are innovative solutions to the copyright issue.  The bottom line is that trying to police piracy is not the answer.   There will always be someone, somewhere who will access media and share it.  The answer to the problem must be coming up with a way to compensate the creator while allowing others to remix and develop new from existing work.