User:Mishaaaz/sandbox

Definition of Copyright


Copyright, according to Dictionary.com, is "the legal right granted to an author, a composer, a playwright, a publisher, or a distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work."

Importance of Copyright in Education
In education, copyright plays an important role in maintaining the balance between protecting authors' rights and allowing access to essential learning resources. Copyright is important in education because it protects authors' intellectual property and promotes the creation of high-quality, original products. This legal protection promotes creativity and innovation by ensuring that creators benefit from their work. It establishes clear criteria for fair use, prevents legal disputes, and promotes resource stewardship. Furthermore, copyright ensures the economic viability of educational publishing while also protecting moral rights and fostering academic integrity. Copyright promotes access to quality resources and stimulates the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), hence improving educational possibilities around the world.

Overview of The Case
In this case, Jack and his classmates were assigned a project9 by their chemistry teacher to create electronic presentations about the elements in the periodic table. To complete his project, Jack downloaded pictures from the internet without asking for permission or providing proper attribution. This action violated both copyright laws and intellectual property rights.

Description of The Incident
Jack along with his classmates were given a project by their chemistry teacher. This project requires students to make electronic presentations about the elements in the periodic table. In order to complete his project, Jack downloaded pictures that can be found online. Nonetheless, Jack did not ask for permission or provide proper attribution to these pictures that he had downloaded intentionally.

Because of this action, Jack had violated both copyright laws and intellectual property rights. He will be held accountable for copyright infringement and academic dishonesty if the owner of these pictures found out Jack’s illegal action. The copyright owner has the right to sue Jack regardless of Jack’s lack of intent or ignorance of copyright law to complete the Chemistry project.

Ethical and Legal Issue
The ethical issues that Jack committed are copyright infringement and academic dishonesty for using the pictures downloaded online in his project without giving proper attribution or asking permission from the owner.



Copyright infringement refers to the use or creation of content protected by a copyright without the owner's consent. The contents that are eligible for copyright are usually original works such as literary works (novel, scripts, poetry, articles), musical works (songs sheet music), dramatic works, choreographic works, pictorial works (logo, graphic elements, paintings, photographs), motion pictures works (movies, television shows, video), architectural works, computer software and application. Only through licensing agreements or through the purchase of the works from the copyright holder, other parties may be given permission to utilize those works.

Besides that, copyright infringement is usually considered illegal under civil law where it is typically punished by a fee and/or compensation to the copyright owner. Based on the Malaysia Copyright Act 1987, offenders found guilty will face a maximum fine of RM25 000, a maximum sentence of three years in jail, or both. Since Jack did not give proper attribution or the owner did not grant permission to use the pictures in his project, Jack is liable to be punished by law.



Academic dishonesty describes dishonest behavior committed or assisted by individuals involved in teaching, learning, research, and other academic activities. It encompasses not only students but also everyone else in the academic setting including teachers. Academic dishonesty often relates to cheating, plagiarism, contract cheating, facilitation, collusion, data fabrication and deceit.

Academic dishonesty violates academic integrity that places a high importance on being truthful, moral, and meticulous in your academic writing. To have academic integrity is to give readers of your work the confidence that you are not plagiarizing or distorting your research by claiming ownership of other people's creations. Therefore, academic integrity is important to provide fairness to the parties involved.

Nevertheless, Jack’s use of the pictures of other’s creations in the project without giving proper attribution to the owner implied that the project done by Jack including the pictures used are his own creation. This suggests that Jack’s action is considered as academic dishonesty towards his submitted project. If the authorities such as the school found out, the school may file criminal charges towards Jack.

Fair Use and Common Misconceptions
The copying of copyrighted content for satire, commentary, or criticism is known as fair use. This concept allows unrestricted use of copyrighted content under certain circumstances. The type of the copyrighted work, the aim and character of the use, the volume and substantiality, and the effect on the market are the four factors that are assessed.

There is a common misperception regarding fair use and copyright rules that is brought to light by Jack's activities of obtaining images from the Internet for his electronic presentation for a school project without permission or credit. A common misconception is that fair use always includes using copyrighted material for educational purposes. However, fair use is a complex legal notion that considers a number of elements, including the type of copyrighted work utilized, its intended purpose, its quantity, and its impact on the original work's market value. Not every content used for a school assignment falls within the fair use definition.

Furthermore, a lot of people believe that everything that is available online to the general public may be used without restriction. The information may not always be free to use, even if it is publicly available online. Since copyright protects most online content, utilizing it without authorization might be considered infringement. Text, pictures, audio, and video content are all included.

Besides, the idea that employing paraphrases that differ from material found online does not constitute plagiarism is another widespread misconception among users. This is because it's commonly believed that you may avoid plagiarism by only switching just a few words or sentence structures. Still, when an idea or fact is repeated without providing due credit, it is considered plagiarism.

Even if Jack is working for educational goals, he still has to obtain permission and give credit where credit is due. Furthermore, it's a common misperception that anything on the internet may be used for free. Online content is frequently protected by copyright, and using it without authorization might get you in legal hot water.

Strategies for Resolution
The first strategy that can be implemented is through education on copyright laws. Teachers must educate the students to understand about the copyright laws like the fair use doctrine, which allows limited use of copyrighted materials. Educators should explain what copyright is and why it exists, emphasizing the protection it provides to creators of original works.

Next, teachers must teach students the importance of providing proper attribution when using online resources. This includes citing sources accurately and obtaining permission when necessary. Schools can provide guidelines and tools to help students correctly attribute sources, thus preventing unintentional plagiarism. Besides, teachers may encourage the use of resources that are either in the public domain or available under creative commons licenses. Websites such as Wikimedia Commons offer images and other media that can be used freely with proper attribution. This reduces the risk of copyright infringement and promotes ethical use of materials​.

In Jack's case, as he inadvertently violated copyright laws by using images without proper permission or attribution, teachers can introduce him to the Creative Commons (CC) licenses to help him understand the different permissions for sharing creative works. The CC BY (Attribution) license allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as proper attribution is given to the original creator. CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike) is similar but requires that any derivative works be distributed under the same or a compatible license. The adaptations must be shared under the same terms, credit must be given to the creator and only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial) permits remixing and adaptation for non-commercial purposes, with proper attribution. In CC BY-NC, credit must be given to the creator and only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.

Lastly, schools should incorporate digital literacy programs that focus on the responsible use of online content. Teachers and students can both benefit from monthly workshops and seminars including copyright law professionals to stay current on the newest regulations and best practices. To enhance learning, these courses may incorporate interactive components like case studies and Q&A sessions. A digital literacy curriculum that addresses fair use, copyright regulations, and responsible online conduct can also be implemented in schools. To reinforce the concepts, this program should incorporate hands-on activities like building crafts with only legally permitted supplies.

Conclusion
Copyright legislation is important in education because it protects writers' intellectual property and promotes the creation of high-quality, original resources. It encourages creativity, innovation, and academic integrity by establishing clear criteria for fair usage and avoiding legal problems. Thus, copyright law is crucial in education because it balances the protection of writers' rights with the accessibility of learning resources.

Jack's case, in which he utilized online photographs without permission or attribution for a school assignment, emphasizes the legal and ethical difficulties around copyright infringement and academic dishonesty. Misconceptions about fair usage are prevalent, but educational goals do not prevent one from obtaining permission. To resolve such concerns, students must be educated on copyright rules, the significance of correct attribution, and the use of Creative Commons licensed resources. This promotes intellectual property rights and protects academic standards.