Blog #3: Message and Copyright Info

What happens when you break the law? Consequences follow, right? Whether that is jail time, a fine, or worse, breaking the law is not treated lightly. In the same way, what happens when you illegally use a work that is copyrighted? Should the same consequences follow? Whatever your stance on respectable punishments, remember that using copyrighted material without explicit permission to do so from the author or creator, is a crime. So what exactly constitutes as a copyright infringement?
Well, according to visual by Visual.ly.com, if you use, post, or tag a work without getting permission-- even if it is on the internet, does not have a copyright logo, is altered by you, or is for non-profit use--is stealing that work. I do not know about you but this was surprising to me! I was under the impression that the "©" had to be on a work if it was copyrighted. Also, know that almost everything you see on the internet is under a copyright. Meaning that every single one of us who posts on social media, blogs, or sends pictures or videos via email, most likely breaks copyright laws without even knowing it. Common Sense Media made a video that sets up clear guidelines about how to navigate the internet and use sources to your benefit the legal way. The video has five simple steps: #1: Check who owns it; #2: Get permission to use it; #3: Give credit to the creator; #4: Buy it (if necessary); #5: Use it responsibly.    These steps were very helpful to me, but also were surprising to learn. I had never thought about finding out the owner of a work and then possibly having to buy it from that person.
Keeping this in mind, I realize that the internet and world of media is steadily growing. This staggering growth has huge implications for our students. Not only do they need to grow with the media, but as a YouTube video pointed out, they have to be prepared for jobs that do not exist yet, using technology that has yet to be invented. These two issues alone will completely alter what teachers teach. Staying in touch with the changing trends of technology, teachers need to be aware and ready to advance the knowledge of their students when it comes to these topics. This way, our students will be ready for the future careers that will be new and foreign to the previous generation.
Personally, with regards to copyrights, I believe that teachers set the example for their students to be upstanding members of the community. Respecting others' property carries into a work they have published, written, created, or designed. If we want our students to have this conviction, we need to model it.

Resources:

• Visual.ly visual--http://visual.ly/copyright-infringement-5-myths-vs-facts
• Common Sense Media video--https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/copyright-and-fair-use-animation?page=1
• YouTube Video--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVQ1ULfQawk#t=92