Are There Cows In France?: June 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

WK1 Response to Paula Sanchez's Blog Post: Copyright Issues

EDM613 Media Asset Creation

Week 1 Reading Blog Post

June 29, 2012

The whole notion of copyright and fair use has been clarified through this week's reading (3 sets of videos), but has also further muddied my understanding of what I am able to use as an educator, how much I am able to use, and how concerned I should be about using something created by someone else. There is a sense of unease that always comes with using photos and film clips and other materials that you did not create. That sense of unease frequently causes me to underutilize materials in my presentations, both for this course, and in the education of my students.

What I better understand is the definition of copyright, and how I can use copyrighted information. I understand that in order to use material created by someone else, be it text, video, still images, music, or even dance, permission needs to be obtained. Fortunately, with fair use, I can "borrow" small portions of materials to use with my students. (I am still very unclear on what small portions really means.) I also know that it is critical to credit the original creator whenever possible. This is the biggest issue for my students - they think that if something is on the Internet, it is available for them to use. Use often translates into copy, and they really struggle to understand the difference.

Having said this, I do appreciate the last set of videos from this week's assignment. I appreciate the Creative Commons notion - that in this information rich Internet age we live in, there exist agreed upon guidelines that do carry the weight of the law.

As mentioned in the videos, Creative Commons falls somewhere in between "All rights restricted" and "public domain". If all information were clearly labeled using these guidelines, it would be less difficult to determine whether or not I am able to use the information, for example, in a lesson for my students.

This coding system will also help me better educate my students as to what information they are able to use for projects, as well as their personal uses.

Still images captured from video:

Jena WaytJune 29, 2012 8:17 PM

Paula,
As with any newly acquired information, it will take reading and rereading that information and correctly using material to learn how to efficiently use copyrighted material before we feel comfortable. I know it will take me a while to understand all the information that we have learned about this week. I don’t feel it will be an easy task. “Muddied” is a good way to explain my understanding at this time also. Although, some issues are clearly, such as what is legal and not legal to use, what can and can’t be copyrighted, and what Fair Use is about. A small portion? Does that mean less than half? I think we need more information on that one. I do feel it is very important to educate our students on copyright laws. You are correct about their mentality concerning anything on the Internet. Now I know how to show them and tell them the correct way to use any material that they did not create themselves. That is a good feeling!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

WK 1 Response to Anthony Hunt's Blog Post: Copyright Issues

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Anthony Hunt's Post: 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 world views 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.

I agree that all the videos I’ve watched in the past few days have been very informative. I also agree that seeing even a couple of these in the beginning of this degree would have helped in the understanding of what is legal and not legal for us to use. How great is it that you were able to share this information with your brother. I would think that a music producer would already know a majority of this material. I would like to know what his response to you will be and what habits he will have to change to be in compliance with all the copyright laws, if any. I, too, found if very interesting that Nigeria is the No. 1 for producing movies with the least amount of copyright infringements. I also found it interesting that they only use digital. Creative Commons is the best addition to our small box of sites that has materials we can use for our projects. It has become my #1 site now!

WK 1 Leadership post: To Publish or To Present

For my leadership project, I have decided to write an article for publication in a journal. I have based this decision on a couple of factors: conferences for the summer have already started, and more research needs to be completed on Vision Therapy and the role it plays in learning. The chance that my article could be published would bring awareness to a wider audience. Hopefully, that would lead to more people becoming involved in researching and accepting the validity of the connection between learning and vision. I have seen first hand how important Vision Therapy is to help students and adults become more successful in school, at work, and in their everyday lives. This will not be an easy task for me, but I have found that I have a stronger writing ability that I wasn't aware of until I started the EMDT program. I will have to take it one step at a time. But, isn't that the way to do anything?

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.