Intellectual Property
...and what it means to you.
How does one navigate the tricky and complex web of Intellectual Propoerty (IP)? It seems the majority just choose not to, most likely for lack of knowledge and lack of enforcement. However you don't need a law degree to move beyond an amateur grasp of know how to work with copy righted material. The following annotated resources offer a few helpful articles and tools to quickly get you well on your way to becoming a legally savvy user of published works on the web.
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The Public Domain MonsterEvan Dahm's Public Domain Monster which elicited an entertaining and yet informative discussion about the legitimacy of contributions to the public domain and how to correctly label them as so.
For more information see the public domain discussion below. |
What is Intellectual Property? (The Long Version)
A thorough treatment of IP by contributing author Wendy J. Gordon of Boston University School of Law is found in an online version of the Oxford Handbook of Legal Studies. The chapter of the book devoted to IP gives a detailed analysis of the various doctrines and theories associated with Intellectual Property primarily from the economic perspective. Consider reading this article if you seek an in-depth understanding of IP
For just the quick and dirty, nitty gritty on IP read the following:
Understanding the Different Kinds of Intellectual Property is a Dummies.com article that provides a quick overview of familiar terms such as patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secret. How Stuff Works also offers an equally quick reference from a comparative perspective in the following article How Intellectual Property Works with some fun and interesting links various inventions and
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Multimedia Presentation
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"Beat the Cheat: Teaching Students (and Parents) It's Not OK to Copy" - Article
Ninth grade English teacher Kim Bochicchio preaches zero-tolerance for plagiarism and sticks to her guns as she encourages educators to do the same in this Edutopia article. With diligence and time Bochicchio's don't back down method offers promising results and a clear future free from criminal activity for her students. Bochicchio also claims that "Open communication was the tool that allowed students to feel comfortable stopping in during my free period to ask questions about avoiding plagiarism."
"Teaching Copyright in the Age of Computers and Mashups" - Blog
This Audrey Watters blog posted on Edutopia examines the limits and practicalities of teaching intellectual property law and suggests the use of mashups to give students an authentic experience in creating with creative commons and public domain material and then having these creations available to others to re-create. Watters states "There are a lot of online resources available, with ample explanations and exercises to help talk about copyright, it's also worth looking at copyright issues in context, not just as a separate curriculum unit. One way of doing this is by encouraging students to explore mashups, particularly by working with openly-licensed content -- content that isn't copyrighted -- as they do so. Then, as students cite, excerpt, rework, and mash up this content, they can think about what re-use and fair use can mean."
What you can use!
Online Tools to Combat Plagiarism
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The Purdue Online Writing Lab or OWL is an essential tool in any writing effort across curriculum. Research and citation guidance are among this collection of vast writing resources available to students and educational professionals. This resource also has the added advantage of tutors available through email for addressing individual concerns and questions.
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Turnitin is a fee based plagiarism prevention and online grading program. Though primarily geared to the needs of teachers Turnitin offers services to students to have papers reviewed prior to submitting them. Turnitin has also become widely used by college admissions.
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