Information Ethics
Objective: Students will understand
how to use information ethically.
Information Ethics
Using information in an ethical manner means:
– Avoiding plagiarism
– Giving credit to the original authors
– Using information appropriately and legally
(copyright law)
Using Information Appropriately
The Fair Use section of the Copyright Law allows you
to use copyrighted material without permission
based on the following four factors provided in the
law:
1) purpose and character of the use
2) nature of the work
3) amount and substantiality of the portion
4) effect of the use upon the potential market
Purpose of the Use
When using a copyrighted work you need to think about
the purpose. Are you using it in a similar way or is the
way you are using it new and unique? If it is unique, it is
more likely to be fair use.
Example: You can use the structure of someone
else’s web site to create a new web site with
different information.
Character of the Use
This statement refers to whether the use is commercial
or noncommercial. If it is for noncommercial use, it is
more likely to be considered fair use.
Example: You could use a picture from a book
in a classroom presentation at school.
Nature of the work
A particular use is more likely to be considered fair
when the copied work is based on fact versus used in a
creative sense. The nature of the use is also
dependent on whether the item has been published.
Example: A teacher must get a student’s permission
to use the student’s research paper as an example for
another class. If the paper has been published, the
faculty member could use the paper without getting
permission from the student, as long as he cited the source.
Amount and substantiality of the
portion used
This statement refers to how much of the copyrighted work is
used. If just a small section is used, the law favors fair use. Less
than 10% of a written work can be used if the item is not divided
into chapters or sections. If it has chapters, only one chapter or
10% of the work can be used whichever is lower. Substantiality
refers to the heart of the work. If the major part of the work is
copied, it may not be fair use.
Example: You could quote a section of a chapter in a book to
provide a catchy introduction for your research paper.
The effect of the use upon the
potential market for or value of the
copyrighted work
This statement refers to how you are using the copyrighted
information. If you are using it for commercial purposes, its
use may not be fair. Or, if you are copying something that
affects someone else profit margin, its use may not be fair.
Example: Your teacher cannot create a course
pack that has several copyrighted articles. He/She
must have copyright permissions paid before the
course pack can be created and sold to you.
Digital Copyright
Now that information is so easily transferred
electronically, it has become commonplace to
copy and share files.
Is this okay? No, the copyright law still applies
to electronic information.
Digital Copyright
Although many students trade copyrighted
works using file-sharing programs, this may be a
violation of copyright law. You may be
prosecuted or have to pay a fine if you violate
the law.
What You Can Do
• You can:
– Quote from books/articles/websites
– Use images in papers/presentations
– Use small sections of books for presentations
What You Can’t Do
• You cannot:
– make whole copies of workbooks designed as
consumables to avoid purchasing new copies
– extract large sections of a copyrighted book and
re-sell it on the internet or in print without getting
permission
– post a song or movie on the internet to help
others avoid the cost of purchasing their own
copy.
Summing Up
• Using information ethically means:
– Giving credit to the original author when using his/her
work
– Not posting the work of others on your own website
without getting permission
– Not sharing music, video, and software files with others
who haven’t paid for them
– Keeping in mind all four aspects of Fair Use
1)
2)
3)
4)
purpose and character of the use
nature of the work
amount and substantiality of the portion
effect of the use upon the potential market