The use of online resources, copyright, illegal downloads, etc. are all hot topics these days. Just recently, Congress debated new laws that would place restrictions upon what information or websites could be shared by places such as Wikipedia or Google. The topic of copyright is a very important one for any person, both individually and in whatever occupation he/she may be in.
Copyright itself is the exclusive ownership of a material. This ownership gives that person the complete rights to their work and they must be give permission before others can use the material. Another important aspect of copyright debate is the fair use doctrine. Under the fair use rights, a person can take excerpts from a work, such as a direct quote, in order to report, teach, research, etc. This does not require permission from the owner. Needless to say, these laws are not generally kept by a large portion of society today. In order to help people to use legal material, Creative Commons was formed where people can post things that can be shared or edited (often with just attributing the owner). This is to give the public an alternative to trudging through the difficult world of copyrights or breaking copyright laws.
My understanding of these issues and laws will become even more vital when I am an elementary teacher. It seems so easy to just copy a picture or watch a video without going through the process of getting permission. I do believe, however, that following these guidelines will provide a good example and will be a tool for teaching. By showing students where to find "free" pictures or articles, they will become more aware of the issues and will see a legal alternative to piracy.
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