iCheck Microsoft Office 2003 Introductory

These articles further explore computer safety, ethics, and many other topics covered in the Technology Handbook found in the student edition.

Ethics and Technology (p. H36)

Introduction Learn more about legal and ethical problems associated with computer technology.

Directions Read the information below and apply what you learn to answer the questions. Check your work carefully, and click Check Answers.

What Is a Copyright?

A copyright is the legal protection of intellectual property. You have probably heard of other types of property, such as real estate, cars, and other forms of personal property. Intellectual property is the ideas and concepts created or owned by a person or company. Examples of intellectual property are songs, poems, Web sites, and video games.

If you want to use copyrighted material, you must seek the copyright owner’s permission. In many cases, the owner of intellectual property determines under what conditions his or her material can and cannot be used. For example, if you want to use part of a Web site, you should look for a page called “Terms of Use,” which explains the site’s rules regarding permission.

Sometimes asking permission to use copyrighted material is not necessary, as in the following cases:

• Fair use describes those times when you may use or copy a copyrighted work without asking permission. Copyrighted works can be used for educational purposes. For example, teachers may usually copy a few pages of a book to hand out to students to teach a lesson. Students may usually include copyrighted material in a school report or presentation to support their research, as long as they include the source of the material. In general, if someone does not profit from another’s material, then this use is considered fair use.
• Public domain describes material that people can use freely without permission. Intellectual property that is in the public domain includes material that is so old that the copyright no longer exists (such as the works of Shakespeare), information published by the government (such as reports from the Department of Labor), and material that the creators have decided to offer free to the public (such as the freeware operating system Linux).

It is important to remember that although public domain material is free to use, it is still necessary to cite the source of the material. In addition, if you are unsure about whether it is necessary to ask for permission to use intellectual property, it is best to ask for permission to make sure you avoid violating copyright laws.

1			What is intellectual property?
2			Where would you find a Terms of Use page?
3			Give an example of a fair use of copyrighted material.
4			Name a work that is in the public domain.