I've only been teaching for 2.5 years and one of the lessons I clearly recall during my alternative certification program during my foundations of teaching modules was to NEVER use the work of others without giving proper credit. This is an area where I have made sure I followed the rules. Whenever, I create a lesson and use other sources, I am certain to cite the sources. I refrain from showing movies in my class and limit the amount of videos I show on my SmartBoard by sharing the videos with students on our learning management system. Having been an accountant for more than 2 years, following the rules comes easy to me as well as being in compliance.
I am also reminded of a $9.2M lawsuit in the state of Texas with the largest school district over copyright infringement because two teachers intentionally and repeatedly violated the law. The teachers in this case, used worksheets and other resources and presented them as their own "using whiteout and tape to hide copyright notices and distributed to students" (Houston Chronicle, 2019). While this is an extreme example regarding copyright infringement, it is also a clear reminder of the repercussions can definitely take place. Repercussions that I am not willing to face.
During our lesson this week, we also focused on a white paper regarding The Copyright Office and The Library and whether or not these two government offices should separate. The authors laid out an fairly good argument with evidence to support their case. My findings as submitted are below:
I believe the Hudson Institute definitely makes a good case for separation.
Can the U.S. Copyright Office function better, be more respectful of our constitutional structure, and enhance the $1.1 trillion copyright sector if it is removed from the Library of Congress (Oman, 2015)? Reading the white paper helped me to better understand what was happening. As a former accountant, the cost factor is what caught my attention the most. Based on the article, “The Copyright Office is perhaps the best investment in government with a more than $70,000 to $1 return on taxpayer funds (Oman, 2015). I was amazed to find that in addition to it being a great investment, private partnerships can also help keep costs low. As a taxpayer, this is extremely important to me as I am not a fan of wasteful spending. I also think that it just makes good business sense to lower costs.
Another piece of information I found interesting is that the Library prioritizes other functions, leaving the Copyright Office unprotected and unsupported (Oman, 215). Since the Copyright Office helps to maintain impartial advice on copyright laws, the Library of Congress should be able to manage the 1.1 trillion budget better and since their priorities differ, allowing the Copyright Office to complete its duties to their customers. Additionally, the authors provides back up stating that there are serious weaknesses in the ITS management (Oman, 215). With so many issues, it only seems fair that the Library and Copyright Office separates.
Sources:
Tepp, S. T. Oman, R. (2015, October 13). A 21st Century Copyright Office: The conservative case for reform. by Steven Tepp Ralph Oman. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.hudson.org/research/11772-a-21st-century-copyright-office-the-conservative-case-for-reform.
Carpenter, J. (2019, October 28). HISD settles study guide copyright case for $7.8M by Jacob Carpenter. Retrieved December 2, 2021 from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/HISD-settles-copyright-case-for-7-8M-after-14568428.php.
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