Copyright Protocol

Have you ever came up with a magnificent idea, and told someone about it? Let’s say that person decided to take your idea, and put it into action, without your permission. Your idea works and people love it. However, your pride quickly fades when you realize no one knows it was your original idea. The other person got all the recognition and praise, not once giving you credit. You probably are not feeling too warm and fuzzy towards the person using your idea without giving you any credit right about now. What if we switched the situation up a bit; they asked you for permission to use your idea, and gave you credit where it was due. How does that change the way you feel?

San José Library. (August 9, 2008). Kids using the computers.
 [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2jlRz3U

               When you, or others create work, copyright automatically comes into play, which means only the creator of that work has the right to use it (Figg, 2013). However, work can be given a Creative Commons Licence (CC), which can allow others to distribute or use your work (Figg, 2013). Essentially, copyright, and CC can determine who has permission to use a piece of work, and how they can use it. As a teacher, understanding this, and teaching this to your students is beneficial, and helps ensure peoples’ desires in relation to their work are being met.

               Not every piece of work you create/use has to be original. If it is within the person’s copyright/CC Licence, or you have direct permission to use the work for your desired purposes, it is okay to use. However, it is important to give credit to whom the work belongs, when required. You can do this by citing your work. It is important to understand, and to teach your students how and when to cite, why we cite.

Buie, J. (August 4. 2016). Repurposed license plates. [Photograph]
 Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/bumeister/28369964203

Reference:
Figg, C. (2013). Copyright for tech enhanced teaching. Handy4class. Retrieved from http://www.handy4class.com/tpack-teacher-game/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Copyright-2013c1.pdf