Ethics and Information

A Definition• Ethics: The discipline

dealing with what is good or bad and with moral duty and obligation.

– Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition

A Question of Ethics

•You see a dog sitting on the side of a major highway. What do you do?

Definition II• Information Ethics: The branch of ethics

that focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information, and the ethical and moral codes governing human conduct in society.

» -- Dictionary for Library and Information Science

» Joan M. Reitz 2004

Two Major Themes

• Plagiarism• Copyright

Other Topics (not covered here)

• Censorship• Privacy• Children’s access to the Internet/Filtering• Search Engine ranking• Advertising vs. Information• Spam & phishing

Plagiarism Defined

• “ Copying or closely imitating the work of another writer, composer, etc., without permission and with the intention of passing the results off as original work.”

--Dictionary for Library and Information Science, Joan M. Reitz, ©2004

STCC’s Plagiarism Policy

(from the Student Handbook)

http://www.stcc.edu/handbook/conductcode.asp

Plagiarism and The Digital Age

• Cutting and pasting from one electronic source to another without attribution

• Downloading papers from online paper repositories (“paper mills”)

Is Plagiarism ever ok?

Copyright• A grant of exclusive rights over the

writings of an “author,” including music, literature, drama, and other intellectual works.

• Only the copyright holder may authorize reproduction of copyrighted works.

Copyright con’t.• Copyright derives from the Constitution

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 - U.S. Constitution

Original Term of Copyright

14 years

Current Term of Copyright

95 years(give or take)

Why Has Copyright Been Lengthened?

The Likely Culprit

Other Copyright Battles

• Lego Bionicles• George Harrison• Mike Tyson’s Tattoo• Purple Dinosaur Costumes

For more information, see

http://www.benedict.com

Fair Use Exemption

• You can use a copyrighted work on a limited basis according to “Fair Use.”

• Fair use allows you to quote passages from a book or other work in your paper.

• But there are still limits!

Factors in Determining Fair Use

• Financial effect• Amount of original work used• Whether new work is intended for

commercial purposes• How derivative is the new work?

Other Exceptions

• Parody• Academic Use• Public Domain• Doctrine of First Sale

Intellectual Property

• Definition:

“Tangible products of the human mind and intelligence entitled to the legal status of personal property, especially works protected by copyright, inventions that have been patented, and registered trademarks.”

--Dictionary for library and information science. Joan M. Reitz, 2004.

Examples of I.P.

• The Beatles “White Album”• “Scarface”• “Happy Birthday to You”

Is there another name for these things?

How about. . . .

Culture!!!!!

Examples of Western Culture

•The Beatles “White Album”

•“Scarface”

•“Happy Birthday to You”

Questions but no answers

Are I.P. and Culture synonymous?

Can Culture be copyrighted?

Is Copyright too restrictive?

Can Copyright limit or suppress new forms of art and culture?

Mashup

• A song in which the vocal from one source is laid over the music of another.

Current Example

An authorized legitimate mashup record

DJ DangerMouse: The Grey Album

Example of an unauthorized mashup record

Who owns the copyright?

• EMI: Owns rights to “The White Album”• Sony: Owns rights to Lennon/McCartney

catalog• Def Jam(?) owns the rights to Jay Z’s “The

Black Album”• Whoever owns the rights to Jay Z’s songs• DJ Dangermouse

Is this okay?

Please discuss.

Is it ever OK to violate copyright?

Review: Copyright Exceptions

•Financial effect

•Amount of original work used

•Whether new work is intended for commercial purposes

•How derivative is the new work?

Quote

• “The copyright system has been extended, twisted, supplemented, and corrupted to such an extent that the oligarchs have locked up content in most forms for what seems like forever. “

• --Siva Vaidhyanathan, The Anarchist in the Library