Skip to main content

Blog Post 9


Copyright laws aim to protect original authored works. A majority of the time you need to have the author’s permission to use their original material. However there are some exemptions that allow copyrighted materials to be used. For example, if the materials are for classroom use or educational purposes than permission is not needed. This exemption is important because it demonstrates the high value we place on education by allowing these materials to be circulated in order to foster a more diverse, enriched learning environment. 
Although there is a classroom use exception, teachers and students do not realize how easy it is to cross the line from “fair use” into copyright infringement. The exception is not a green light for copyright violations. The Classroom Use Exemption only applies to instances that occur in person and to non-profit institutions. This means that the exemption does not apply to online course-related activities and websites. (Roscorla, 2012) Also, the classroom use exemption also only authorizes performance or display. For example – creating classroom handouts that contain copyrighted material would be a violation.
Taking these rules into consideration – there have been numerous copyright violations that occurred in courses I have previously been enrolled in. A majority of teachers and students do not realize how limited the classroom exception actually is and easy it is to infringe upon copyright laws. I believe that adjustments should be made to the exception in order to take into account how large a role Internet plays within the classroom. Finding a balance between protecting authored works and allowing the flow of information and materials will be harder to find in a modern setting.
Works Cited

Roscorla, Tanya. “Why Schools Aren't Safe Harbors for Copyright Infringement.” Center for Digital Education & Converge Magazine, 31 May 2012, www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/Why-Schools-Arent-Safe-Harbors-for-Copyright-Infringement.html

Tedford, Thomas L., and Dale Herbeck. Freedom of Speech in the United States. Strata Publishing, Inc., 2017.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gamifying Citizenship

The historical context of freedom of speech is an extremely interesting one. Why is it that the concept of free speech has been an undying one and has span the history of human communication. Breaking free speech in to three traditional rationals makes the concept easier to understand and definitely makes sense. These three modes of freedom of speech are philosophical, political and individual. They are easy to distinct from one another and function in completely different ways. From a philosophical level, free speech is a device of truth. That if people are able to speak freely and let their ideas compete, "in the long run the truth will prevail" according to Tedford and Herbeck. I find this interesting, because in my mind, this is the most important facet of free speech. I say this, because I find free speech essential for any kind of societal advancements. If people are not allowed to speak their mind and share their ideas, or discredit others ideas, how is a society supp...
1 comment
Read more

Wedding Cake Court Case (make-up post)

Wedding cake court case involving a gay couple, Charlie Craig & David Mullins, and a cake baker, Jack Phillips, who refused to bake a wedding cake for the couple. Just all around, it's a tricky debate with many different angles due to the baker arguing on the grounds of the First Amendment---its protections for free speech and the free exercise of religion. In the end, I think it comes down to whether we consider baking a cake qualifies an exercise of freedom of expression. I would say that it depends on the situation/context of baking. If Mr. Phillips wants his cake baking to be categorized artistic expression that falls under free expression, he can just go bake a cake on his own. Only then when he's on his own private time does it qualify, but as soon as he offered his skills as a public service via his business, I'd argue he gave that right to expression up. Also, what's stopping other artisans/professional services to deny services? By Mr. Phillip's logic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why is Freedom of Speech Important in a Democracy

While reading Chapter 15, I got the sense that the book was really coming full circle. In the first week of class, we established a meaning for freedom of speech and that shared meaning allowed us to navigate the classroom together as a classroom and a collective group. Creating a space that also involved mutual respect of opinons but encouraging difference in them as well. This brings me to an article I found about the importance of Freedom of Speech in a democracy. It is a basic human right to be able to express opinions and beliefs in our country. Although that is the main component, just like we established in class the first few weeks, in a government and democracy, Freedom of Speech also consists of the ability to listen to people with difference in opinions. In the article , editor Rachael  Jolly says, “ We are going through a time where people don’t want to be on a panel with people they disagree with. But we should feel comfortable being in a room with people who disagree ...
4 comments
Read more