“Ideas are not protected by copyright – just the unique expression of an idea.” (Wrobel, 2016, 4:08min).
LRNT522 Unit 3 Activity 2
As my academic journey continues on at Royal Roads the importance of understanding copyright issues and laws becomes even more imperative and crucial to have as instinctive knowledge. With academic research, writing, critical analysis and thesis paper in much of the road ahead, I start to see myself construct my own thoughts and begin to translate the compilation of all my learning’s in to my personal voice. What I must remember is to organize and document along the way so it is not forgotten when it comes time to give appropriate credit to those authors and owners of the content that has helped me along the way.
Watching Melanie Worbel’s, A Guide to Copyright video, was very helpful in highlighting some important facts and considerations. Here are a few of the key points that were great reminders on this very important topic.
What can be copyrighted? Wrobel (2016, 4:08) provides a great reminder on what is protected by copyright and for me a quick list to refer to if using any of these sources to ensure I cite correctly and/or get permission from the owner as these are protected by copyright laws.
| Literary works | Books, magazines, pamphlets, computer programs, blogs, websites |
| Dramatic works | Movies, YouTube videos, plays, screenplays, scripts |
| Musical works | Musical compositions of all kinds |
| Artistic works | Paintings, drawings, maps, photographs, sculptures, plans |
| Performances | Live or recorded, a reading of literary work, improvisation |
| Sound recordings | Recordings in any format |
| Communication signals | TV & radio program, podcasts |
What are the alternatives to copying? Wrobel (2016, 24:34) describes in her presentation the alternatives to copying to prevent copyright infringement. She shares the following points:
- Send a link
- Use public domain resources
- Use open access and open education resources (MOOCs)
- Paraphrase (cite the source)
- Purchase a resource
What are some of the common mistakes? Some of the most common mistakes that Wrobel (2016, 51:11) stated people make related to copyright are that they have tendency of:
- Using other peoples work without citing, which is considered plagiarism
- Thinking citations may be enough to avoid copyright infringement
- Assuming when adapting something or if it’s changed it enough you don’t need to cite or get permission
- Assuming posting someone else’s work on own website is fine because its free advertising for the original copyright owner
Reference
Wrobel, M. (2016, June 13). A Guide to Copyright [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://ca-sas.bbcollab.com/site/external/playback/artifact?psid=2016-06-21.1617.M.BDF488F0ABC6DC5A10966179DD9E5E.vcr&aid=213200
Dorothy,
I enjoyed your post highlighting key points from Melanie Wrobel’s recording on copyright. Sounds like you got a lot out of her presentation. Andthat is the perfect cartoon…too funny!