Using Copyright material is CopyWRONG

Rebloggy (2013). Tumblr (swearing in).
Retrieved from: tumblr

Do you swear to use non-copyrighted content and only non-copyright content, while citing properly, in order to be a responsible citizen? 

*I DO*

 This is an oath that every digital citizen must take in order to be a RESPONSIBLE digital citizen. Okay I may or may not have made that up but who can say no to Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis?! As we have been learning throughout this course, a major aspect of being a digital citizen is understanding the rules of online content and respecting other users on these platforms. One aspect that is often over looked, is the 'stealing' of other users content. Images and videos are amongst the most frequently shared content on the Internet. HOWEVER: before sharing users have to check if they are 'sharing' or 'stealing'. There is a fine line between the two but it is important to know! Need some help? Here are a few tools to help verify the sources you are using! 

S. Benini (2014). Flikr. (online image)
Retrieved from:here

Animito was our way of utilizing creative commons, and showing how it is possible to create a powerful presentation by using non-copyrighted images! Don't believe me? Check out my page and watch for yourself! It is important to teach digital users, especially the younger generation, that even something as small as an image has an owner and it is important to pay tribute to that owner. Certain restrictions limit the use and modification of images and as a digital citizen you must respect that right. Now with all these patents and copyrights how are you to find images that are usable?! Not to fear Creative Commons is here! Creative commons is an online database that searches and categorizes USABLE images for uses to use guilt free! It allows you customize the licensing that is needed for the intent you wish to use it! It is like your "online assistant" it does the paper work for you and makes sure you are in the clear!

Uhmm yes, I’ll take the image in the top right, along with the bottom middle- and no thank you, hold the legalities! 

A, Yoskowitz. (2014).MP3tunes. (online image).
Retrieved from: MP3tunes

Copyright has been an ongoing battle, especially within the music industry. An article was published by the New York Times, where Mr. Roberts, a music pioneer, is in the middle of a lawsuit where he may have to pay up to 41$ MILLION in long-going copy right infringement. Yes you saw that correctly...41 MILLION. Now, it is not always going to be in the millions. For first time offenders and users like ourselves, we would receive a warning from the site you posted if a case of copyright was reported. But this article just goes to show how serious copy right infringement is! It is important to be aware that just because it is downloadable, does not mean it is right. 

So next time you go sharing, downloading or modifying content online...think of Justin and Mila... are you following the digital citizen 'oath'?

XOXO