Week 1 Blog Response 1: Julia Hutchinson

Julia's post:

As a graphic designer & instructor, there is probably no other word (aside from Comic Sans) that evokes fear, uncertainty, and debate like ‘copyright’. The discussion is never over the clear ‘black and white’ issues. For example, clearly you cannot use the Walt Disney signature typeface for a brand name, regardless of whether it’s for personal or commercial use. It’s always over the gray areas. So for this course to start off by delving right into the realm of Copyright and Fair Use is rather commendable, and speaks to the importance of the topic.
I think back to the Month 1 Media Literacy & Research course when we had to create a lesson in Second Life. Our team decided to create a lesson centered on the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence. We wanted to incorporate the famous 1795 John Trumball painting, and audio of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson as depicted in a film about the historic event. It was then that I really learned about the Fair Use Act and how it ‘liberated’ educators from the censorship tyranny that can be inflicted by copyright. Our situation was a prime example of the need to use copyrighted material for the purpose of teaching, AND, without the material, the lesson could not be as effective. Where needed, we obtained the proper usage rights for much of our media. In most cases, all that was required was a citation of the source in the credits.
 All in all, I look forward to continue learning about the nuances of Copyright and Fair Use, and how it applies to educators and the classroom.

My response to Julia: 

Hi Julia,
Here's a big "howdy" back at you from Texas. You are so true that Copyright is a very important topic that should be addressed by any teacher, especially when technology is involved. I really like how you addressed Fair Use as an act of liberation for educators. That is so true. So much pressure was taken off the backs of educators by its inception. As I was viewing the videos, I started to get a little overwhelmed by the complexity of it all. Bottom line, Fair Use is a "defensible position" if ever an issue arose.
 Dave