7. Be Legal and Fair

Introduction

Technology has brought about a potential crisis. It seems that a lot of artwork, literature, and music by some of the most creative authors, musicians, and artists have fallen into the hands of pirates. Their work is being shared all over the Internet as we speak. We need to put a stop to this. What would happen if your favorite musicians stopped writing and publishing their music? Do you want to listen to the music of your grandparents?

In this Thing, you will discover what we can do to make sure creative work remains under proper control. You will investigate copyright laws and report your findings back to your teacher. You will also find out if there is a way to legitimately use the work done by others so that you are not accused of operating illegally. 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

When you have completed this Thing you will:

1. know about copyright and fair use [Digital Citizen]
2. understand the social responsibility of using copyrighted materials [Digital Citizen]
3. know how to recognize and avoid plagiarism [Digital Citizen]
4. know how to use Creative Commons licenses [Digital Citizen]