Copyrights and Public Domain:(note: This blog is the intellectual property of the user and may not be reproduced in any way without the express consent of the owner)

The topic under discussion this week is copyrighting. It is a topic that many do not think about in the process of creating their work, only when the project is completed does it become very crucial to the creator. Anyone who wishes to put forth their research, results, ideas, or projects must think about how they will protect their intellectual property from possible theft or plagiarism. Copyrighting is especially important in this day and age. The digital world that most of us use to create and share our work is so vast and expansive, it is a common fear that if you post something on the internet that your ideas will be 'stolen' and reproduced by someone else. Thus, it is important that today's researchers and artists be informed about the stipulations of copyrighting in the digital age.

Who has the rights to the copyright symbol?

The concept of copyrighting has been around for centuries (as shown here by the LOC). As the medium for expressing ideas has changed however, so too have the rules and ethical boundaries. With the advent of the internet and open accessed sites which present the work of others to be readily obtained by others, copyrights have become somewhat of a grey area. For example, how many times have you searched Google Images for a specific picture, found it, and carried on to copy and paste it to your own Power Point slide show without a serious thought about the rights of the owner, or at least you thought about the owner's rights but didn't bother to look him or her up and ask permission to use the photo? I admit to have done this many times, and why not? Google is obviously letting this sort of activity happen all the time, otherwise it wouldn't be so easy. The point here is that in this new age of online connectivity it is much easier to sort through masses of information both open and private, and usually it can be accessed and manipulated by a user.

The authors of Digital History describe view the internet as “commons,” or a shared storehouse of human creations, rather than a “marketplace." They go on to promote their advocacy of the rights and the needs of their "owners" and "users" in a new philosophy which seeks to allow people to present their work to the web whilst still retaining their copyrights and allowing users to observe what they have presented. This is called public domain and it is quickly becoming the new way in which people present their work online. The idea behind this will allow others to view, comment, and even revise your work; with your permission of course, depending on how much access you would like to give users to your material. 

Creative Commons is an online database which promotes this sort of online collaboration with other researchers and artists. The website allows you to search for materials which others have allowed you to access. The site assures your work will only be accessed, viewed, or changed if you allow it to be. By checking which parts of you project you want to be available, Creative Commons provides that sense of security which is sometimes non-existent when presenting work on the web.

It's free, right?

The academic community largely promotes the sharing of ideas to better educate themselves, each other, and the public. Just in the way Google is trying to digitize every book ever written, the popular opinion is to allow the free access of materials online. Historians must still remember their teachings in the ethics of academic accountability in this new age, yet also be open to the sharing of their ideas in the digital medium. The fear of losing ones work or having it ripped off by someone still remains, however, with careful understanding of the rules of copyrighting, this fear need not prevent one from sharing their work to the world.