Module 5 Reflection and Thoughts

 Module 5 Overview

    Let's talk about copyright, and how it applies to digital writing. According to copyright.gov, copyright can be defined as "a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression." In another work by copyright.gov, they state that "for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years." How does copyright relate to digital writing? In simple terms, it impacts every aspect of it. Copyright gives protection to original works, while also holding authors accountable for crediting where they get their information from. Within the realm of copyright, there are other works that have their own sets of rules, including fair use, public domain, and creative commons. It is crucial that writers understand the sets of rules that apply to each of these when creating their own work to protect themselves, and the works created by those before them. 

    While on the topic of ethical creation, it is also essential to discuss topics such as the public sphere, using your platform to encourage change, and how one can use social networks to do so. When creating work with the goal to encourage positive change, one must understand their audience, and how exactly they can create a digital atmosphere that makes others feel safe to take action. By using rhetoric, as previously discussed, authors can quite literally guide their audience into the direction they want them to go. Considering our country's very rocky political stance right now, consider how all parties use images, photos and their words to sway voters. While it seems extreme at first glance, they are reaching their goal of getting their intended audience to feel a certain way, leading them to vote. On a similar note, social networks are groups that have a specific goal in mind and use communication to develop plans to further their digital strategies and goals. Everything in the digital world connects, and understanding each factor is crucial to being digitally literate. 

Module 5 Reflection and Thoughts

    As a college student, copyright laws, including finding reliable sources, citing properly, and understanding what each part of copyright means can be... overwhelming. Coming out of high school, we were not taught much about copyright, how to properly cite sources, or how to understand the copyright laws, which made for a hard transition and a rude awakening when I wrote my first college paper (but thank goodness I know the Pythagorean Theorem, thanks high school!). While learning about copyright seemed boring at first, I quickly came to realize how important it was. Thinking about myself, I realize how upset I would be if I created a work and it got used by someone else with no credit. It's crucial, and by citing sources and properly acknowledging other works, we can actually spread knowledge by encouraging others to read the writing that we found important enough to incorporate into our own works. This helps with my next point, social networks. It can be a but intimidating to propel yourself into a social network where everyone may feel more educated than you. However, you can truly learn so much by involving yourself in groups that are important to you. By discussing ideas with others, advocating for things that you find worthy of your attention, and actively seeking out a community, you are helping yourself by seeking out useful knowledge. Because at the end of the day, the more educated you are, the more powerful you feel.

    Final words: Does anyone know a lot about copyright and would be willing to share? I'm asking for a friend... or maybe myself.

Until next time, 

Brianna 

References

Copyright image link

How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?

What is Copyright?