Thing #21

Copyright and Freedom of Information - vagueness; fair use is so hard to understand that it fails to provide effective guidance for the use of others' works today. (yes, I copied and pasted that!) Copyright law is confusing, no doubt. Take the copyright quiz at http://witchyrichy.wikispaces.com/copyright Students need so much guidance in this area, but I have found that those in a leadership role also need help. The website quoted above is Hall Davidson's. He outlines key facts that administrators, educators, and students should know about intellectual property. Many organizations appoint a technology manager to conduct audits and maintain a log of licenses and registration materials, but many do not. The new "system" that can make things easier on students is Creative Commons (www.creativecommons.org). It's a system built within current copyright laws that allow people to mark their creations with a Creative Commons license. This license allows others to use their music, movies, images, and text online for specific purposes, such as for classroom use. The licenses are outlined at http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/.