1 CP586 © Peter Lo 2003 Multimedia Communication Ethics and Copyright

CP586 © Peter Lo What are Computer Ethics? Moral guidelines that govern use of computers and information systems Unauthorized use of computer systems Information privacy Intellectual property rights Software theft (piracy) Information accuracy Codes of conduct

CP586 © Peter Lo What do you think about ethical issues?

CP586 © Peter Lo What do you think about ethical issues?

CP586 © Peter Lo Why is information accuracy important? Inaccurate input can result in erroneous information and incorrect decisions based on that information Evaluate Web page’s value before relying on its content

CP586 © Peter Lo Why is information accuracy important?

CP586 © Peter Lo What are the ethics of using computers to alter output? Alteration could lead to deliberately misleading photographs

CP586 © Peter Lo Intellectual Property The term intellectual property describes the rights available at law to those who engage or invest in creative effort. Intellectual property law has been shaped by different forces from country to country in order to protect investment in various intellectual endeavours. Modern intellectual property laws are dictated by our former ties to the UK. Intellectual property is a concept that deals with the tangible and intangible property produced as a result of creative intellectual endeavours, such as books, movies and multimedia applications. Intellectual property dictates the ownership of ideas and control over the tangible or virtual representation of those ideas.

CP586 © Peter Lo Digital Agenda The digital revolution has altered pre-existing notions of intellectual property in relation to the physical embodiment of ideas in tangible goods. Ease of copying, communications and manipulation of data in a digital form pose enormous challenges to conventional copyright law.

CP586 © Peter Lo Law In Australia, copyright law is contained in the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth). There are also a number of court decisions that have applied and interpreted the Copyright Act. Unfortunately copyright law varies from country to country. Why is this fact important?

CP586 © Peter Lo What is Copyright? There are a number of existing laws that govern the ownership of information. Copyright protects the expression of ideas & information. In Australia, copyright law arises without formality as soon as the work has been created. The US requires a © symbol.

CP586 © Peter Lo Intellectual Property Rights Intellectual property (IP) refers to work created by inventors, authors, and artists Intellectual property rights are rights to which creators are entitled for their inventions, writings, and works of art © copyright TM trademark

CP586 © Peter Lo Protected Works Dramatic works: play or screenplay. Artistic works: paintings, cartoons, sculpture, craft works, photos and maps. Musical works: songs, music and lyrics. Literary works: novels, instruction manuals, computer programs and tables of figures. What is multimedia?

CP586 © Peter Lo Other Subject Matter Cinematograph films: Films and videos are protected separately to any copyright which may subsist in works on the film or video, such as music or a screenplay. Sound recordings: A compact disc or cassette are protected separately. Broadcasts: The broadcaster will have a separate copyright for films and music that they transmit (TV/radio).

CP586 © Peter Lo Duration of Copyright. In general, for the life of the author (creator) plus 50 years. Performances: 20 years from the date of recording or performance. Published edition: 25 years from the date of publication. It is important to note that the period of protection may be different overseas.

CP586 © Peter Lo Who owns Copyright? The author or creator owns copyright of “works”. Producer owns copyright of film or sound recording. Joint authorship implies joint copyright. As a result no single author can exercise exclusive rights without the permission of other authors.

CP586 © Peter Lo Exceptions Works created in the course of employment where the creator is an employee, rather than a freelancer. Commissioned works. Works made or first published by the government belong to the government. These exceptions may be excluded or modified by agreement.

CP586 © Peter Lo The Legal Rights of Copyright Owners Owners of copyright in works have the exclusive right to: Reproduce the work. Make the work public for the first time. Broadcast the work. Transmit the work to subscribers of a diffusion service.

CP586 © Peter Lo Copyright and the Internet The open nature of the Internet makes it difficult to prevent unauthorised use of copyright material. Identifying the author and copyright owner is often a complicated task. Are current copyright laws adequate and appropriate for the Internet and other on-line technologies. The Internet began as a forum for the free exchange of information and ideas. Copies are easily made with no degradation of quality and can be easily altered. It is difficult to identify who is liable (ISP). Technology plays an important part in ensuring unauthorised use. Is the designer of a home page an author?

CP586 © Peter Lo Exceptions to Infringement Fair Dealing : The use of a reasonable portion of a work for the purposes of research, study, reporting the news and criticism. Some educational institutions have the right to copy up to 10% of a book for educational purposes under special provisions in the Copyright Act.

CP586 © Peter Lo Samples Using parts of material may be an infringement of copyright if a substantial part of the work has been used. What constitutes a substantial part of a protected work is determined on a case by case basis. A sample is likely to be substantial if it is an essential part of the whole.

CP586 © Peter Lo IT code of conduct Written guideline that helps determine whether specific computer action is ethical or unethical

CP586 © Peter Lo Information privacy Right of individuals and companies to deny or restrict collection and use of information about them More difficult to maintain today because huge databases store this data in online databases Should employers monitor your computer usage and messages? Is data about an individual really private?

CP586 © Peter Lo What privacy laws have been enacted? Many federal and state laws regarding storage and disclosure of personal data, such as: Computer Abuse Amendments Law Outlaws viruses Child Online Protection Law Penalizes those who distribute material deemed harmful to children

CP586 © Peter Lo What is employee monitoring? Using computers to observe employee’s computer use, including , keyboard activity, and Web sites visited Legal for employers to use monitoring software programs Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act Proposed law that employers monitoring electronic communications must notify employees

CP586 © Peter Lo Spyware Program placed on computer without user's knowledge Secretly collects information about user Can enter computer as virus or as a result of installing new program Adware Spyware used by Internet advertising firms to collect information about user’s Web browsing habits

CP586 © Peter Lo How can you control spam? filtering Service that blocks messages from designated sources Collects spam in central location that you can view any time Anti-spam program Attempts to remove spam Sometimes removes valid messages

CP586 © Peter Lo One of the most controversial issues surrounding the Internet Availability of objectionable material such as racist literature and obscene pictures The 1996 Communications Decency Act Made it a criminal offense to distribute indecent or patently offensive material online Declared unconstitutional in June 1997 by Supreme Court

CP586 © Peter Lo Filtering software Can restrict access to specified Web sites Some filter sites use specific words Others filter messages and chat rooms

CP586 © Peter Lo References Discovering Computers World 2003 (Ch. 3, 12) Australian Copyright Council, Multimedia Producers and Copyright McKeough, Intellectual Property in Australia, 2nd edition