DG1: Copyright

The easy access to digital tools and media in the classroom or at home means that we can take, upload, and share these materials so easily and frequently that we may not be aware that we are infringing on copyright. Copyright law means that all rights are reserved, so copying, distributing, performing, displaying, or adapting of digital media found online is prohibited. For teachers to be able to share online material (sharing a video, for example) in class without acquiring permission or public performance rights, it must have a CC (Creative Commons License). A CC means that some rights are reserved, so that those who have created the material and may not want to restrict it completely can modify their rights so that their work can be shared, learned, and built upon.

As students we are creators, anything that we make - essays, presentations, videos, recording, performances, art work, or website - is all protected by copyright. So just as we like to have ownership of our ideas, other creators around the world like to have ownership of theirs as well. For example, if we are using copyrighted works to create new works (called "user generated content") there are guidelines we have to meet:
1) Our new work cannot be for commercial purposes
2) The original source must be mentioned (if it is reasonable to do so)
3) The original work to generate content must have been acquired legally)
4) The result of the user generated content does not have a "substantial adverse affect" on the market for the original work.

As long as we meet this criteria, we are able to use music, DVDs, mash-ups, and art, for our own learning and use.

Below are two Internet images found using the search modifications from Flickr and Google Images, where the artists have chosen a Creative Commons License, both of their works may be downloaded and used for free:

Heijnsbroek, Fons. (2011, January 26). Splow, 2010 [Painting]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1LyptoX

Brault, Thomas. (2015, April 18). Multiple exposure image of a girl and a skyline [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1NDg7y1

References:

Figg, Candace. (2013). Handy4Class Presents: Copyright for Tech-Enhanced Teaching. Retrieved September 16, 2015 from http://bit.ly/1ysAvbF

Noel, W., & Snel, J. (2012). Copyright Matters. Retrieved September 16, 2015 from http://bit.ly/1OZ6E1r