Copyright and Digital Footprints
Copyright and digital footprints are two topics that have gained much importance with the rise of mass media and the advent of new technology. In my undergraduate degree it was briefly mentioned, yet never truly expanded upon. I believe this was due to the reality that people did not produce, remix and borrow much at that time; innovative teachers had websites and projectors were just seeing the light in the education system, the headlines regarding Napster’s copyright infringement had just begun to appear. At this time, society was much more involved in the consumption rather than the production of media. Yet currently by placing documents online and creating media we are not only leaving a digital footprint but a record of any possible copyright infringement.
One of the current issues with the internet is that finding material is so easy. We no longer wish to reinvent the wheel, everything is at our disposal. Unless you know about stock images, how to check copyrights, or verify the creative commons licence of the material, it is very tempting, in the rush that often accompanies creating support material, to simply “copy-paste” a picture or a passage, which might lead to an infringement of copyright law. Although often curious about the true law, wondering whether the 10% golden rule teachers in my district adlibbed to was truly valid, I was often scared away from reading it in its entirety by the legalese found in the document. For the longest time I would reinvent the wheel, choosing pictures and documents I knew were safe, never posting a PowerPoint that was not my own creation. I attempted to manage my digital footprint, knowing very well that in today’s society that was almost impossible to fully do. Yet there are many aspects of digital citizenship that I am not aware of, aspect the Digital Tattoo program did a wonderful job at explaining. I had never heard about the term Clickjacking or the manners in which it was done, although I have seen it, or the impact of it. I guess to a certain extent it is this concept of digital footprint and not fully understanding how it works, that kept me away from the allure of social media. However, it is now expected that you participate and a person who doesn’t have a digital footprint is often automatically judged as having something to hide; the social pressure to join and actively participate are quite high and the consequences can be devastating
As society becomes consumer and producer of media, we need to carefully consider the concept of digital authorship. This change in our behavior and use pattern of media has generated immense digital footprints and a need to. In my opinion, review and “modernize” copyright law. At our school we have a specific course segment on digital citizenship covered in English grade 7 and our grade 9 students receive a visit from a police officer warning of identity theft and online predators. However with the ever changing technology, more should be in place to ensure that the students fully understand the issue at hand; these have all been structured around protecting the student yet not about copyright. Digital citizenship and copyright laws need to be up-to-date with the current technology and the manner in which that technology is being used. Information needs to be easily accessible to all (students and adults) and written in a manner that the users of the media can understand. The rules, regulations and guidelines regarding digital citizenship and copyright need to be presented in a manner that 1) clearly addresses the producers and consumers of media, 2) makes the producers and consumers of media aware that these rules, regulations and guidelines truly concerns their use of media and technology, and 3) can easily be adlibbed to.
Below is an article I found very interesting when taking ETEC 531
Philip, K. (2005). What is a technological author? The pirate function and intellectual property. Postcolonial Studies, 8(2), 199-218.