Transcript
Ethics and Information
A Definition• Ethics: The discipline
dealing with what is good or bad and with moral duty and obligation.
– Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition
A Question of Ethics
•You see a dog sitting on the side of a major highway. What do you do?
Definition II• Information Ethics: The branch of ethics
that focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information, and the ethical and moral codes governing human conduct in society.
» -- Dictionary for Library and Information Science
» Joan M. Reitz 2004
Two Major Themes
• Plagiarism• Copyright
Other Topics (not covered here)
• Censorship• Privacy• Children’s access to the Internet/Filtering• Search Engine ranking• Advertising vs. Information• Spam & phishing
Plagiarism Defined
• “ Copying or closely imitating the work of another writer, composer, etc., without permission and with the intention of passing the results off as original work.”
--Dictionary for Library and Information Science, Joan M. Reitz, ©2004
STCC’s Plagiarism Policy
(from the Student Handbook)
http://www.stcc.edu/handbook/conductcode.asp
Plagiarism and The Digital Age
• Cutting and pasting from one electronic source to another without attribution
• Downloading papers from online paper repositories (“paper mills”)
Is Plagiarism ever ok?
Copyright• A grant of exclusive rights over the
writings of an “author,” including music, literature, drama, and other intellectual works.
• Only the copyright holder may authorize reproduction of copyrighted works.
Copyright con’t.• Copyright derives from the Constitution
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 - U.S. Constitution
Original Term of Copyright
14 years
Current Term of Copyright
95 years(give or take)
Why Has Copyright Been Lengthened?
The Likely Culprit
Other Copyright Battles
• Lego Bionicles• George Harrison• Mike Tyson’s Tattoo• Purple Dinosaur Costumes
For more information, see
http://www.benedict.com
Fair Use Exemption
• You can use a copyrighted work on a limited basis according to “Fair Use.”
• Fair use allows you to quote passages from a book or other work in your paper.
• But there are still limits!
Factors in Determining Fair Use
• Financial effect• Amount of original work used• Whether new work is intended for
commercial purposes• How derivative is the new work?
Other Exceptions
• Parody• Academic Use• Public Domain• Doctrine of First Sale
Intellectual Property
• Definition:
“Tangible products of the human mind and intelligence entitled to the legal status of personal property, especially works protected by copyright, inventions that have been patented, and registered trademarks.”
--Dictionary for library and information science. Joan M. Reitz, 2004.
Examples of I.P.
• The Beatles “White Album”• “Scarface”• “Happy Birthday to You”
Is there another name for these things?
How about. . . .
Culture!!!!!
Examples of Western Culture
•The Beatles “White Album”
•“Scarface”
•“Happy Birthday to You”
Questions but no answers
Are I.P. and Culture synonymous?
Can Culture be copyrighted?
Is Copyright too restrictive?
Can Copyright limit or suppress new forms of art and culture?
Mashup
• A song in which the vocal from one source is laid over the music of another.
Current Example
An authorized legitimate mashup record
DJ DangerMouse: The Grey Album
Example of an unauthorized mashup record
Who owns the copyright?
• EMI: Owns rights to “The White Album”• Sony: Owns rights to Lennon/McCartney
catalog• Def Jam(?) owns the rights to Jay Z’s “The
Black Album”• Whoever owns the rights to Jay Z’s songs• DJ Dangermouse
Is this okay?
Please discuss.
Is it ever OK to violate copyright?
Review: Copyright Exceptions
•Financial effect
•Amount of original work used
•Whether new work is intended for commercial purposes
•How derivative is the new work?
Quote
• “The copyright system has been extended, twisted, supplemented, and corrupted to such an extent that the oligarchs have locked up content in most forms for what seems like forever. “
• --Siva Vaidhyanathan, The Anarchist in the Library
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