TechnologyReport

The Internet and Protecting Copyrights By Jason Mansfield New technology has allowed us to share information at a level never seen in history. From blogs and wiki’s to file sharing websites, the whole world is connected. While this technology has many benefits there is also a downside. The downside is that copyrighted information is also being shared and used without the creator getting credit and/or earning profits. In the news we see this often related to music piracy. People buy a cd, post it online, and people anywhere in the world can download it. They just got an album and didn’t pay a dime. The artist that created the music also did not get what he has rightfully earned, the profit from their music. The level of copyrighted items goes much further then just music. Software is licensed for one person, yet they share it with all their friends. “Copyright also protects computer software including websites”. (Stroder, 2006) Text from books and articles is plagiarized and stolen without giving credit to the creator. The list goes on and on. “For school and district administration copyright should be front and center on the agenda”. (Davidson, 2005) In a school district we should not have a large problem with music sharing, but we will have an issue with copyrighted articles and papers, and computer software. Many schools are strapped for money. Because of this teachers and personnel may duplicate software programs that have been successful. For example a teacher purchases a program for her class. Since they purchased the rights to use it for one computer that is all it is supposed to be on. Most likely the teacher will install the program in all classroom computers. Once word gets out that it has been successful in the class other teachers will want a copy. Then unknowing that they are committing a crime, make copies and distribute them to all staff interested. This is a copyright violation and the district and teacher can be fined. Another scenario can be with professional papers, articles, and even worksheets. Worksheets are a common copyright violation in schools. A teacher gets a free sample of a workbook from a company. The teacher does not buy the workbook, but makes photocopies of the pages to use in class. Many times the worksheet says “Do not copy” on the bottom. This is a copyright violation. On the other end students can also violate copyrights laws without knowing. Many research a topic, type a report, and do not include any references as to where they got the information from. They may even use quotes from the articles without crediting the original author. This too is a copyright violation. While it is impossible to police every copyright issue, a school district can take steps to prevent them. The first step is educating the staff as to the proper use of copyrighted information. Many students and staff do not even realize what they are doing is illegal. By holding a training during a staff meeting teachers and staff can be educated enough to make good decisions. Then the teachers can take this information back to the students. Overall most people do not realize they are breaking copyright laws, but with a little education they will see their wrongs and help others to not make the same mistake. References: Stroder, R.S. (2006). What ever school should know about intellectual property. // Education Digest //, 71(6), 35-41 Davidson, H. (2005). Copyright primer for administrators. // Technology & Learning, //25(11) S2-S8. Kruger, R. (2003). Discussing cyber ethics with students is critical. // Social Studies, //94(4), 188-189