Management of digital property in schools is becoming increasingly complex. Students assume that digital resources such as pictures, music, videos and documents are available for their use simply because they are \u2018copyable\u2019 resources. Spending time teaching students about who actually owns the property and how to utilize it is tricky. Even companies and\u00a0 large corporations such as Blackboard and Microsoft cannot agree on the rules or how they should be followed. \u00a0Students are not typically trying to do anything illegal, or immoral, they simply assume that share sites such as Limeware are available and therefor useable. Educators need to explain the rules in forms that our students can understand, even at a very young age. Are teachers equipped with the necessary information and resources?<\/p>\n
Here are a few resources available to help address this rather complex topic:<\/span><\/p>\n Your Digital Presence<\/i> offers a basic overview and links to documents regarding Canadian Copyright laws in relatively easy to understand language: http:\/\/www.2learn.ca\/ydp\/copyrightabout.aspx<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n MediaSmarts<\/i> lesson for grades 7-8 which addresses the relationship between intellectual property, copyright and trademark concepts:\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/mediasmarts.ca\/lessonplan\/up-and-away<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n Copyright Matters<\/i> is a booklet designed to help teachers to understand and deliver accurate content regarding Canadian copyright laws: http:\/\/cmec.ca\/Publications\/Lists\/Publications\/Attachments\/291\/Copyright_Matters.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Of particular growing concern is the use of original content for reworking assignments. As digital representations become more popular as a means for sharing knowledge and learning, concerns around this property in classrooms is substantially heightened. I was particularly interested in #13 from the Copyright Matters booklet mentioned above, <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c13. Can students and teachers use copyright-protected works to create new works?\u00a9<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n The Copyright Act contains a users\u2019 right permitting anyone, not just students and teachers, to use copyright-protected works to create new works. This users\u2019 right is referred to in the Copyright Act as \u201cnon-commercial user-generated content.\u201d This users\u2019 right can be found in section 29.21 of the Copyright Act as amended by the Copyright Modernization Act. The following conditions apply to the creation of non-commercial user-generated content:<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n 1. It can only be used for non-commercial purposes.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n 2. The original source must be mentioned, if it is reasonable to do so.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n 3. The original work used to generate the content must have been acquired legally.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n 4. The resulting user-generated content does not have a \u201csubstantial adverse effect\u201d on the market for the original work.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n This users\u2019 right permits students to use copyright-protected works to create videos, DVDs, or mash-ups, as long as the conditions above are all met.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n The users\u2019 right permits user-generated content created under provision of the Copyright Act to be disseminated. Dissemination includes uses such as posting a video to YouTube or a Web site.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n This excerpt clearly demonstrates the usage laws for content in schools. I was reassured of my own usage and my expectations of my students after reading this. <\/span><\/p>\n Overall, it is important for students and teachers to understand is that the rules are more open for educational purposes than for other industries. Bill C-11 allows for the expansion of \u2018Fair Dealing\u2019 law which states, \u201c “Fair Dealing is an exception that permits limited and non commercial copying for specific purposes. Fair Dealing is a user\u2019s right that facilitates creativity and access to information by balancing the restrictions in the Copyright Act.\u201d (2Learn.ca<\/span><\/a> Education society, 2012) to educational means. Education has been included as an exemption in the following categories: <\/span><\/p>\n