November’s digital citizenship theme is on Intellectual Property. Copyright law was established in 1710, but in the world that we are living in, there's a lot of misinformation about legal rights and responsibilities in the digital age. The Internet offers many opportunities to download, share, and re-use copyrighted material in many legal and illegal ways. Many people do not know what the rules are regarding copyright.
Copyright law is all about balance. Copyright is intended to protect original works, but it also ensures that people can access and reuse creative works in new ways. When students are working with digital resources online, they need to remember the following:
Check who owns it
Get permission to use it
Give credit to the creator
Buy it if necessary
Use it responsibly
Watch the following video to learn more about copyright and how our students can legally take advantage of many digital resources available.