Digital Ethics Book Project Reflection Format
 

Fair Use Online

John D. Thomas

Monday, November 5th, 2012

http://digitalethics.org/essays/fair-use/

Fair Use Please

First Impression:

I think it has something to do with copyright and usage rights.

Quote:

"Fair use."

Reflection Proper:

Fair use is something really controversial. People work hard on something and then someone just snoops in and get their work then publishes as their own. In the educational field, people are judged when one does that, actually as a student if one does that it is call plagiarism, and here in De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde where I study, we will fail the subject as well as get a major offense. Plagiarism is stealing someones work and not having the guts to admit that one took it from someone else and it is no their own idea. As a photographer myself, I know how it feels when someone gets your photo and claims it as their own. It feels horrible because we work hard to make something beautiful and extravagant while someone just copy pastes, it is sad for this people.

Nowadays, there are places where one can get photos for free or the usage rights are freely given such as creative commons. I like this initiative because studios or other people do not have to "steal" someone else's work. This also helps place who do not have the budget but needs beautiful crafted photos and not resort to "stealing" like churches or students. Churches have pastors who use presentation and some pastors use graphics in their message, but most of these photos are "stolen" in google without permission. Students use photos as well in school presentation and technically they are not exempted in this usage rights.

5 Things That I've learned:

Fair use exists.

People link back they use photos.

Daily Beast made a cheat sheet.

People copy without permission.

Studios have cheaper costs due to this fair use.

5 Integrative Questions:

What is fair use?

How can fair use be ethical?

How can creative commons solve the fair usage problem?

Is there an organization that keeps check of this?

How can the government protect artist, writers, and all other publishers in fair usage policy?