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Copyright

September 4, 2008

Copyright laws tell us that we must respect the rights of people who create things: art, music, novels, movies, sculptures, etc. These are the laws that make sure that these people can continue to make money by creating their art.

Copyright laws are different from country to country. For example, Canada and the US currently have very different copyright laws. But all places have these laws for the same reason: to make sure that creativity and innovation continues.

Take a look at this page. On it you will find a comic book called Copyright – comic book that explains in general what copyright is. You’ll also find here a booklet called Learn From the Past – Create the Future which talks more specifically about how copyright works. You need to carefully read these two files. As you are reading, think about fair use – what is it? What can you legally use for your own use? What can’t you use? Why do we have copyright laws? What would be the consequences of not having these laws?

Another option is with Creative Commons. This is a form of copyright that lets you share more openly what you have made, allowing others to use it and build on it. When you look at the Creative Commons website, think about how it is different from regular copyright.

Here is a video on Creative Commons for you to take a look at:

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