Sarah F
Blog Entry # 4
July 18, 2009
LIS 855
“Copyright gives authors, artists and others the right to exclude others from using their works. Federal rights arise automatically when a protectable work has been fixed in a tangible medium such as a floppy disk or hard drive. A poem or picture is as much protected on a disk as on a piece of paper or canvas.” (http://www.piercelaw.edu/thomasfield/ipbasics/copyright-on-the-internet.php) Copyright effects individuals on a daily basis. We read print newspaper and internet news without ever giving a second thought to the copyright law that protects the information that we are reading or copying. News must be from a reputable source and be copyrighted in order to protect the author of the article regardless of the form in which it is presented. Copyright law in the U.S. is based on the Copyright Act of 1976, a federal statute that went into effect on January 1, 1978. (http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Jan/1/241476.html)
Newspapers are still read today even though many people subscribe to internet news sites. People expect to see newspapers available for purchase and viewing. I went to the New York Times web site and examined their copyright notification. It states that, “All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of The New York Times Company or in the case of third party materials, the owner of that content. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. However, you may download material from The New York Times on the Web (one machine readable copy and one print copy per page) for your personal, noncommercial use only.” (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html) I believe that print and internet news must follow guidelines in order to ensure that authors have their original works protected. Many times patrons at the library want to copy articles for their own use out of the print newspaper. This would be “Fair Use” of the materials. “One of the rights accorded to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords. This right is subject to certain limitations found in sections 107 through 118 of the copyright law. Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:
The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission.” (http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html) Patrons making photocopies of articles for their own use must be sure to follow the correct copyright laws when they are copying someone else’s work from a print newspaper. We know that print news is from a reputable source because if we look at the copyright agreements and information about the individual articles, each article is copy written. The newspaper owns the articles printed in their paper and there is a trademark and a copyright license and terms of agreement.
Internet news is very popular with the use of sites such as Yahoo News, MSNBC, Facebook, and Twitter plus print newspapers now offer their news online to customers who pay to subscribe. News can be reported on the internet from a reputable source but it can also be reported from a person writing their own story and taking their own pictures. These stories can be biased and have one opinion of the information reported upon. By clicking on the “I agree” button in the terms and conditions agreement you are agreeing to the web site’s information on copyright. Many consumers click on “I agree” before fully reading and understanding the user agreement. Internet news from a reputable source will also be protected under copyright and have a license and terms of agreement policy. The information will be from a reputable news source and it is delivered quickly to you via the internet. As consumers, you need to be aware of sites that offer news that is not supported by a reputable news agency or company. This news can be presented by others as reputable news but in fact is the author’s own opinions. Internet news should be approached cautiously to ensure that what is being read is correct.
Television, cell phones, and PDA’s are three other ways that news is transmitted to the public. Television news is the source people tend to rely upon because it has always been available and it is trusted by many consumers. Cell phones and PDA’s are also becoming devices that people use to get their news and communicate with others. We have recently seen countless pictures and news stories coming from individuals from their personal devices. These sources are not always reliable and they have personal opinions attached to the stories behind the pictures.
Copyright should be taken seriously. Consumers do not understand the importance of following copyright laws and rules to protect works that others have written. Print newspapers are becoming a thing of the past and that leaves consumers to rely up on the internet and television for their news. Internet news must be told from a reputable source in order to prolong its existence. Consumers want to keep up with technology so they can get the fastest news that is just a click away. Patrons need to be aware of the news difference and make sure that they are getting their news from a reputable source by checking the license, terms and agreement, and privacy policy of each individual web site that they use for their news source.
Bibliography:
Pierce Law . 2008. Pierce Law Center. 18 July 2009. http://www.piercelaw.edu/thomasfield/ipbasics/copyright-on-the-internet.php.
New York Times. 2009. New York Times Company. 18 July 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html.
Find Law. 2009. Find Law, a Thomas Reuters business. 18 July 2009. http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Jan/1/241476.html.
United States Copyright Office.15 Jul. 2009. U.S. Copyright Office. 18 July 2009. http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Can We Believe Everything We Hear and See?
Sarah Flanagan
LIS 855
Blog Entry # 3
July 4, 2009
“If you happen across the Iraq Body Count Web site, you will be accosted by a shot of B-2 bombers dropping payloads against the backdrop of a serene blue sky. “If all goes 100% as planned (the bomb does not fall outside of its specified margin of error of 13 meters, and the GPS guidance system is not foiled by a $50 radio jammer kit, easily purchased), then here is what one such bomb does: everyone within a 120 meter radius is killed," the home page states. Next to the text, a stopwatch clocks Iraq's civilian dead. At press time, there were approximately 300 minumim and 400 maximum, according to the site.” (http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/pqdweb?index=1&did=320685181&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1246727232&clientId=12286 This article points out that numbers like this are not released except by the Pentagon. This web site is supposed to be an accurate count of important newsworthy information. Iraq is the current political issue and news reporters want to appear to be giving out reputable information. The article goes on to state that, “iraqbodycount.net, gets 100,000 hits a day.” This shows that people use these news items for money and fame.
In the past few weeks we have seen countless examples of citizens taking the news into their own hands. Individuals believe that they can better tell a story from their own point of view. Many times the story that is conveyed is very opinionated and false. Common tools that we utilize daily have become the public’s way of transferring news stories from one to another. The internet, cell phones, and digital cameras allow images to be taken and put up on the internet in a matter of seconds. News is now available 24/7 and people don’t stop to think about what they are doing and how it could affect others. This week in the news there have been many high profile stories that have been corrupted.
One of the first news worthy stories that has happened is Michael Jackson’s death. I was at work when he died and someone came to the circulation desk and told us that he was dead. The staff immediately looked at MSN.com which was reporting that he was rushed to the hospital but that they were still trying to save his life. Already people using Face Book, My Space and Twitter had found out that he was dead before it was announced by a reputable source. “Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, recently had to defend that he is indeed still alive after thousands of Twitter uses spread the news that he was dead.” (Coyle) This is the weakness of instant news because sometimes false information is given.
The Iran election has also been another heated issue this week in the news. The Coyle article stated that, “While involvement in the protests in Iran might be Twitter’s most meaningful achievement thus far, some have noted that inaccuracies were circulated.” (Coyle) Following the presidential election in Iran, as a result of the protests and quite public displays of outrage followed by the attacks on demonstrators by government police squads, the reputable news agencies had been ordered to leave the country. Protesting citizens continued to take pictures and were posting photos and video by using cell phones and internet sites. The Iranian government decided to shut down their internet and other devices so that their news could not be leaked out of their country to the rest of the world. So many people have been allowing images and results of their elections to be reported on by the public. These elections are important and need to be reported on by a reputable source.
How do we know what sources are reputable? This is a question that needs to be considered by television, internet, cell phone, and Twitter users. News is transmitted from sources and directly put on the internet. People can now put their life stories on the internet and put whatever pictures they want on the internet. This information can be copied or sold to a newsworthy source. The copyright laws should protect these personal photos and information. We are a part of the news that we make. Who should be able to determine what news can be used and copied on the internet?
News is available to the public 24 hours a day. We are constantly bombarded by stories and opinions based on news stories. Nothing is filtered and we become exposed to these stories all the time. Sometimes we need to break away from these stories and begin to realize that there is more to life than constant news coverage. With increased technology exposure to positive and negative news is constant.
According to the an article by Jake Coyle entitled Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century it states that, “Twitter’s constantly updating record of up to the minute reaction has some instances threatened to usurp media coverage of breaking news. It has also helped many celebrities, athletes and politicians bypass the media to get their message directly to their respective sites.” (Coyle) Getting the news quickly is helpful because it allows news to be immediate. People expect things instantaneously and want immediate gratification. News needs to not only be instant, but reliable so that this great technology can be utilized in a positive manner.
We hear positive and negative news constantly and have to determine whether the news is precise or inaccurate. With the use of increased computer and phone technologies news is always available for viewing.
Bibliography:
Coyle, Jake. (2009) Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century. Associated Press MSNBC Online. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http:// www.msn.com/id/31681758/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/pri
Suzanne Smalley. (2003, April). Counting civilians: Iraq's war dead. Newsweek, 141(14), 11. Retrieved July 4, 2009, from Research Library Core. (Document ID: 320685181).
LIS 855
Blog Entry # 3
July 4, 2009
“If you happen across the Iraq Body Count Web site, you will be accosted by a shot of B-2 bombers dropping payloads against the backdrop of a serene blue sky. “If all goes 100% as planned (the bomb does not fall outside of its specified margin of error of 13 meters, and the GPS guidance system is not foiled by a $50 radio jammer kit, easily purchased), then here is what one such bomb does: everyone within a 120 meter radius is killed," the home page states. Next to the text, a stopwatch clocks Iraq's civilian dead. At press time, there were approximately 300 minumim and 400 maximum, according to the site.” (http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/pqdweb?index=1&did=320685181&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1246727232&clientId=12286 This article points out that numbers like this are not released except by the Pentagon. This web site is supposed to be an accurate count of important newsworthy information. Iraq is the current political issue and news reporters want to appear to be giving out reputable information. The article goes on to state that, “iraqbodycount.net, gets 100,000 hits a day.” This shows that people use these news items for money and fame.
In the past few weeks we have seen countless examples of citizens taking the news into their own hands. Individuals believe that they can better tell a story from their own point of view. Many times the story that is conveyed is very opinionated and false. Common tools that we utilize daily have become the public’s way of transferring news stories from one to another. The internet, cell phones, and digital cameras allow images to be taken and put up on the internet in a matter of seconds. News is now available 24/7 and people don’t stop to think about what they are doing and how it could affect others. This week in the news there have been many high profile stories that have been corrupted.
One of the first news worthy stories that has happened is Michael Jackson’s death. I was at work when he died and someone came to the circulation desk and told us that he was dead. The staff immediately looked at MSN.com which was reporting that he was rushed to the hospital but that they were still trying to save his life. Already people using Face Book, My Space and Twitter had found out that he was dead before it was announced by a reputable source. “Patrick Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, recently had to defend that he is indeed still alive after thousands of Twitter uses spread the news that he was dead.” (Coyle) This is the weakness of instant news because sometimes false information is given.
The Iran election has also been another heated issue this week in the news. The Coyle article stated that, “While involvement in the protests in Iran might be Twitter’s most meaningful achievement thus far, some have noted that inaccuracies were circulated.” (Coyle) Following the presidential election in Iran, as a result of the protests and quite public displays of outrage followed by the attacks on demonstrators by government police squads, the reputable news agencies had been ordered to leave the country. Protesting citizens continued to take pictures and were posting photos and video by using cell phones and internet sites. The Iranian government decided to shut down their internet and other devices so that their news could not be leaked out of their country to the rest of the world. So many people have been allowing images and results of their elections to be reported on by the public. These elections are important and need to be reported on by a reputable source.
How do we know what sources are reputable? This is a question that needs to be considered by television, internet, cell phone, and Twitter users. News is transmitted from sources and directly put on the internet. People can now put their life stories on the internet and put whatever pictures they want on the internet. This information can be copied or sold to a newsworthy source. The copyright laws should protect these personal photos and information. We are a part of the news that we make. Who should be able to determine what news can be used and copied on the internet?
News is available to the public 24 hours a day. We are constantly bombarded by stories and opinions based on news stories. Nothing is filtered and we become exposed to these stories all the time. Sometimes we need to break away from these stories and begin to realize that there is more to life than constant news coverage. With increased technology exposure to positive and negative news is constant.
According to the an article by Jake Coyle entitled Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century it states that, “Twitter’s constantly updating record of up to the minute reaction has some instances threatened to usurp media coverage of breaking news. It has also helped many celebrities, athletes and politicians bypass the media to get their message directly to their respective sites.” (Coyle) Getting the news quickly is helpful because it allows news to be immediate. People expect things instantaneously and want immediate gratification. News needs to not only be instant, but reliable so that this great technology can be utilized in a positive manner.
We hear positive and negative news constantly and have to determine whether the news is precise or inaccurate. With the use of increased computer and phone technologies news is always available for viewing.
Bibliography:
Coyle, Jake. (2009) Is Twitter the News Outlet for the 21st Century. Associated Press MSNBC Online. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from http:// www.msn.com/id/31681758/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/pri
Suzanne Smalley. (2003, April). Counting civilians: Iraq's war dead. Newsweek, 141(14), 11. Retrieved July 4, 2009, from Research Library Core. (Document ID: 320685181).
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Televison, Internet, Cell Phones, and PDA's
Sarah Flanagan
Blog Entry # 2
LIS 855
June 27, 2009
Most Americans get their news through television coverage, newspaper and other news media sources on the internet and on their cell phones or PDAs.
Television is the number one form of family entertainment in the United States today. Families come home from work, eat supper and everybody gets ready for their television viewing which might include local and world news coverage. When we hear news on the television we believe that it is true because we watch the news from a credible news station. I looked at the WGN web site to see what their terms of service policy stated. It stated that, “All information, content, services and software displayed on, transmitted through, or used in connection with WGNTV.COM, with the exception of User Content as defined below, including for example news articles, reviews, directories, guides, text, photographs, images, illustrations, audio clips, video, html, source and object code, trademarks, logos, and the like (collectively, the "Content"), as well as its selection and arrangement, is owned by Tribune Interactive, Inc. ("TI"), and/or its affiliated companies, licensors and suppliers. You may use the Content online only, and solely for your personal, non-commercial use, and you may download or print a single copy of any portion of the Content solely for your personal, non-commercial use, provided you do not remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from such Content. If you operate a Web site and wish to link to WGNTV.COM, you may do so provided you agree to cease such link upon request from WGNTV.COM. No other use is permitted without prior written permission of WGNTV.COM. The permitted use described in this Paragraph is contingent on your compliance at all times with these Terms of Service. You may not republish any portion of the Content on any Internet, Intranet or extranet site or incorporate the Content in any database, compilation, archive or cache. You may not distribute any Content to others, whether or not for payment or other consideration, and you may not archive, modify, copy, frame, cache, reproduce, sell, publish, transmit, display or otherwise use any portion of the Content. You may not scrape or otherwise copy our Content without permission.” (http://www.wgntv.com/about/wgntv-tos-story,0,7246623.htmlstory) WGN is a reputable company, based in Chicago. They clearly state their position that no reproducing of their copy written news story is allowed. Their news stories are truly theirs and they own those stories.
“When the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a, $19,800 contract on December 6, 1967, for the purpose of studying the "design and specification of a computer network," the world didn't take notice. But it should have. For, from that small, four-month study grew the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). And, from ARPANET emerged the Internet.” (Congressional Digest) The internet is put to use almost daily by millions of people. It is utilized as a fast and easy solution for finding information.
“North American households' access to broadband began in 1996, when Rogers Communications introduced the first cable modem service in Canada. Broadband encompasses several digital technologies (cable, satellite, DSL [digital subscriber line], power line, and wireless) that provide consumers with integrated access to voice, high-speed data, video-on-demand, and interactive delivery services. A growing percentage of U.S. households seem to agree that broadband connections have many advantages. Between 2000 and 2001, broadband subscriptions rose over 50 percent, with an additional 48 percent growth in 2003.” (Congressional Digest) Today, many households in America have one or more home computers that have access to the internet and the information that is available on it. The use of high speed internet and wireless internet connections has made it easier for people to have access to their news in an instant. Can we believe news that has been posted on the internet?
The Library where I work offers wireless access for all patrons that have their own personal laptop computers. We also have internet stations available for people to use that require a library card. Most hotels, restaurants and other public places have wireless internet for free use if the patron agrees to the terms and conditions or licensing agreement before they are connected. At the Library, our users’ agreement is displayed and the patron must click on “I Agree” in order to have access to the site. I can safely say that many of the patrons are so used to this message popping up everywhere that they go to use the free internet that they do not even read the message before easily clicking yes. For this reason, it is imperative that wireless internet hot spots and sites must protect themselves with a license or terms and conditions policy. On the other hand if people are just clicking away and getting so used to user agreements that they are not paying attention to what the consequences are of their actions then why are we requiring them. According to the Russell text entitled Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians it states that, “Librarians often ask about the likelihood of being sued for copyright infringement. When they hear the response that the likelihood is very rare, usually they are not satisfied. They want to know who has been sued, who has been taken to court, and what the outcome was.” (p115) People click on these agreements daily and break the copyright laws by downloading, printing and copying information that they were not allowed to manipulate. Nothing happens to them and punishment is not enforced, yet these web sites all have terms and conditions agreements, a privacy policy and some have a license agreement.
I frequently use the Yahoo News and the MSN web sites to look up the latest news information. Both of these sites are fast and posts breaking news on a daily basis. Are they fast because they are inaccurate or has the internet allowed users a faster way to connect and see the news as it happens? According to the Yahoo News Copyright Agreement it states that, “Yahoo! respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. Yahoo! has no responsibility for content on other websites that you may find or access when using Yahoo!’s products or services. Material available on or through other websites may be protected by copyright and the intellectual property laws of the United States and/or other countries. The terms of use of those websites, and not the Yahoo! Terms of Service, govern your use of that material.” (http://info.yahoo.com/copyright/us/details.html) MSN also has a Terms and Conditions agreement stating that, “This site is owned and operated by MSNBC Interactive News LLC (“MSNBC.com”) and contains material which is derived in whole or in part from material supplied by MSNBC, NBC, The Associated Press, Reuters and other sources. The material on this site is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute in any way any material from this site including code and software without express permission from MSNBC or as permitted in Reprint Requests. You may download material from this site for your personal, non-commercial use only, provided you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices.” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3303540/) I think that the main point is that both of these sites are owned by the corporations responsible for writing the news stories on the sites, these sites both have copyrights and trademarks, and visitors to the site are told that they must have the permission of the sites to change or copy information. The internet must have these agreements in place so that the integrity of the article and author are protected.
What did America ever do without cell phones or PDA’s? Once only a means of communication, they now are used to transmit images and information. According to the How Much Information? 2003 article, “There are 1.1 billion main telephone lines in the world as of 2002; it is estimated that each line carries an average of 3,441 minutes a year or 3,785 billion minutes. Mobile phones used more than 600 billion minutes in 2002, an equivalent of 2.3 exabytes of storage.” These statistics were taken in 2003 but the numbers still continue to rise. We use all these devices to transmit data on a daily bases, but how do we know that the news and data transferred is really from a reputable source? Newsworthy events happen and people are taking videos or recordings while the events are taking place. They are then sending these videos to others and putting them on the internet. Copyright and ownership of the original material plays a significant role in these actions. Most teens and adults do not realize the lasting legal effects that could follow their actions.
The news that we are receiving is accurate if we hear it from a reputable source. Many times individuals transmit information that is biased and is indicative of their own personal views. As consumers, we must make sure that the news that we are hearing is from a licensed company that has jurisdiction over its own news reporters and stories. The public must be kept informed and do their part to ensure that they are not breaking the copyright laws by posting inaccurate information.
Bibliography:
Chicago’s Very Own WGN-TV.2009.WGN-TV. 26 Jun. 2009 http://www.wgntv.com/about/wgntv-tos-story,0,7246623.htmlstory.
“Internet History From ARPANET to Broadband.”.Congressional Digest; Feb2007:35-64. Academic Search. June 2009.
Lynman, Peter and Hal R. Varian. “How Much Information? 2003.” June 2009.
www.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003.
MSNBC.2009. Microsoft. 26 Jun. 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3303540.
Russell, Carrie. Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians. United States: American Library Association, 2004.
Yahoo!.2009. Yahoo!. 26 Jun. 2009.
http://info.yahoo.com/copyright/us/details.html.
Blog Entry # 2
LIS 855
June 27, 2009
Most Americans get their news through television coverage, newspaper and other news media sources on the internet and on their cell phones or PDAs.
Television is the number one form of family entertainment in the United States today. Families come home from work, eat supper and everybody gets ready for their television viewing which might include local and world news coverage. When we hear news on the television we believe that it is true because we watch the news from a credible news station. I looked at the WGN web site to see what their terms of service policy stated. It stated that, “All information, content, services and software displayed on, transmitted through, or used in connection with WGNTV.COM, with the exception of User Content as defined below, including for example news articles, reviews, directories, guides, text, photographs, images, illustrations, audio clips, video, html, source and object code, trademarks, logos, and the like (collectively, the "Content"), as well as its selection and arrangement, is owned by Tribune Interactive, Inc. ("TI"), and/or its affiliated companies, licensors and suppliers. You may use the Content online only, and solely for your personal, non-commercial use, and you may download or print a single copy of any portion of the Content solely for your personal, non-commercial use, provided you do not remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from such Content. If you operate a Web site and wish to link to WGNTV.COM, you may do so provided you agree to cease such link upon request from WGNTV.COM. No other use is permitted without prior written permission of WGNTV.COM. The permitted use described in this Paragraph is contingent on your compliance at all times with these Terms of Service. You may not republish any portion of the Content on any Internet, Intranet or extranet site or incorporate the Content in any database, compilation, archive or cache. You may not distribute any Content to others, whether or not for payment or other consideration, and you may not archive, modify, copy, frame, cache, reproduce, sell, publish, transmit, display or otherwise use any portion of the Content. You may not scrape or otherwise copy our Content without permission.” (http://www.wgntv.com/about/wgntv-tos-story,0,7246623.htmlstory) WGN is a reputable company, based in Chicago. They clearly state their position that no reproducing of their copy written news story is allowed. Their news stories are truly theirs and they own those stories.
“When the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a, $19,800 contract on December 6, 1967, for the purpose of studying the "design and specification of a computer network," the world didn't take notice. But it should have. For, from that small, four-month study grew the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). And, from ARPANET emerged the Internet.” (Congressional Digest) The internet is put to use almost daily by millions of people. It is utilized as a fast and easy solution for finding information.
“North American households' access to broadband began in 1996, when Rogers Communications introduced the first cable modem service in Canada. Broadband encompasses several digital technologies (cable, satellite, DSL [digital subscriber line], power line, and wireless) that provide consumers with integrated access to voice, high-speed data, video-on-demand, and interactive delivery services. A growing percentage of U.S. households seem to agree that broadband connections have many advantages. Between 2000 and 2001, broadband subscriptions rose over 50 percent, with an additional 48 percent growth in 2003.” (Congressional Digest) Today, many households in America have one or more home computers that have access to the internet and the information that is available on it. The use of high speed internet and wireless internet connections has made it easier for people to have access to their news in an instant. Can we believe news that has been posted on the internet?
The Library where I work offers wireless access for all patrons that have their own personal laptop computers. We also have internet stations available for people to use that require a library card. Most hotels, restaurants and other public places have wireless internet for free use if the patron agrees to the terms and conditions or licensing agreement before they are connected. At the Library, our users’ agreement is displayed and the patron must click on “I Agree” in order to have access to the site. I can safely say that many of the patrons are so used to this message popping up everywhere that they go to use the free internet that they do not even read the message before easily clicking yes. For this reason, it is imperative that wireless internet hot spots and sites must protect themselves with a license or terms and conditions policy. On the other hand if people are just clicking away and getting so used to user agreements that they are not paying attention to what the consequences are of their actions then why are we requiring them. According to the Russell text entitled Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians it states that, “Librarians often ask about the likelihood of being sued for copyright infringement. When they hear the response that the likelihood is very rare, usually they are not satisfied. They want to know who has been sued, who has been taken to court, and what the outcome was.” (p115) People click on these agreements daily and break the copyright laws by downloading, printing and copying information that they were not allowed to manipulate. Nothing happens to them and punishment is not enforced, yet these web sites all have terms and conditions agreements, a privacy policy and some have a license agreement.
I frequently use the Yahoo News and the MSN web sites to look up the latest news information. Both of these sites are fast and posts breaking news on a daily basis. Are they fast because they are inaccurate or has the internet allowed users a faster way to connect and see the news as it happens? According to the Yahoo News Copyright Agreement it states that, “Yahoo! respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. Yahoo! has no responsibility for content on other websites that you may find or access when using Yahoo!’s products or services. Material available on or through other websites may be protected by copyright and the intellectual property laws of the United States and/or other countries. The terms of use of those websites, and not the Yahoo! Terms of Service, govern your use of that material.” (http://info.yahoo.com/copyright/us/details.html) MSN also has a Terms and Conditions agreement stating that, “This site is owned and operated by MSNBC Interactive News LLC (“MSNBC.com”) and contains material which is derived in whole or in part from material supplied by MSNBC, NBC, The Associated Press, Reuters and other sources. The material on this site is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute in any way any material from this site including code and software without express permission from MSNBC or as permitted in Reprint Requests. You may download material from this site for your personal, non-commercial use only, provided you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices.” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3303540/) I think that the main point is that both of these sites are owned by the corporations responsible for writing the news stories on the sites, these sites both have copyrights and trademarks, and visitors to the site are told that they must have the permission of the sites to change or copy information. The internet must have these agreements in place so that the integrity of the article and author are protected.
What did America ever do without cell phones or PDA’s? Once only a means of communication, they now are used to transmit images and information. According to the How Much Information? 2003 article, “There are 1.1 billion main telephone lines in the world as of 2002; it is estimated that each line carries an average of 3,441 minutes a year or 3,785 billion minutes. Mobile phones used more than 600 billion minutes in 2002, an equivalent of 2.3 exabytes of storage.” These statistics were taken in 2003 but the numbers still continue to rise. We use all these devices to transmit data on a daily bases, but how do we know that the news and data transferred is really from a reputable source? Newsworthy events happen and people are taking videos or recordings while the events are taking place. They are then sending these videos to others and putting them on the internet. Copyright and ownership of the original material plays a significant role in these actions. Most teens and adults do not realize the lasting legal effects that could follow their actions.
The news that we are receiving is accurate if we hear it from a reputable source. Many times individuals transmit information that is biased and is indicative of their own personal views. As consumers, we must make sure that the news that we are hearing is from a licensed company that has jurisdiction over its own news reporters and stories. The public must be kept informed and do their part to ensure that they are not breaking the copyright laws by posting inaccurate information.
Bibliography:
Chicago’s Very Own WGN-TV.2009.WGN-TV. 26 Jun. 2009 http://www.wgntv.com/about/wgntv-tos-story,0,7246623.htmlstory.
“Internet History From ARPANET to Broadband.”.Congressional Digest; Feb2007:35-64. Academic Search. June 2009.
Lynman, Peter and Hal R. Varian. “How Much Information? 2003.” June 2009.
www.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003.
MSNBC.2009. Microsoft. 26 Jun. 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3303540.
Russell, Carrie. Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians. United States: American Library Association, 2004.
Yahoo!.2009. Yahoo!. 26 Jun. 2009.
http://info.yahoo.com/copyright/us/details.html.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Introduction and Newspaper History and Information
Sarah F
Blog Entry 1
LIS 855
June 20, 2009
The news affects our everyday lives. News enters our homes through a multitude of technologies including print, television, internet, cell phones and PDAs. Our views and opinions are based on what we read and hear and how we perceive it. We want to believe that the news that we are reading online, in the newspaper or hearing is from a reputable source. How do we really know that the news we are hearing is true, reputable and following correct copyright laws? This blog is designed to explore how individuals use news on the internet compared to print news and whether it raises copyright concerns.
Almost everyone has read or at least seen a daily newspaper. According to the article entitled, “American Newspapers and the Great Meteor Storm of 1833: A Case Study in Science Journalism it states that, “In 1783, at the official conclusion of the American revolution, there were 35 newspapers in the United States. Three years later, in 1786, as Americans were preparing to draft a Constitution, the number had grown to 50. By 1833, the United States had 1200 newspapers. From the revolution through 1833, newspapers were expensive and available almost exclusively by subscription” (Littmann). Before the huge internet information development, almost every home had a subscription to a daily newspaper.
In our community, people still rely on the daily newspaper as their source of news. At the Public Library where I am employed, our collections of local and national newspapers are being read from opening to closing. Even though we have internet access available to all patrons, many prefer to have the printed copy rather than reading on the internet. Our senior citizens do not feel comfortable using the computers to “read” their daily papers. Most of our print news readers are apprehensive using the internet as they are not certain if the articles are from credible sources and are complete items. People think that when a story is written in paper the person who wrote it has their name published by the story and they can see the entire work in front of them. I think patrons are unsure about the internet because they have been told that the internet news is not always accurate. I know for a fact that E-newspapers are a great tool but sometimes it is missing part of the article and the pictures and extras are not available online. Patrons would be devastated if the print newspaper became an item of the past. According to an article by Leigh Giangreco, Lee Coppola states, “When I hold that newspaper in front of me, it’s different than reading it on a screen” (Giangreco). Due to the struggling economy many patrons must rely on their Library to provide periodicals and get their daily news. I found an interesting article that was printed in the Washington Post written by John Kelly entitled, “History You Can Hold in Your Hand.” It states that, “As artifacts go newspapers are not all that impressive. The newsprint is yellow and crumbly. The stories they relate-the wars, the coups, the triumphs, the tragedies- are quite literally yesterday’s news. We might turn to CNN when news is breaking, but when we want to remember that news-save it, commemorate it, prove that, yes, we were there when it actually happened-we don’t want pixels on glass. We want ink on paper” (Kelly). I think that for many people this statement is true. Even with the internet changing the way news is brought into our homes, patrons still like the idea of holding a newspaper in their hands, drinking a cup of coffee and reading it leisurely.
According to the US Copyright Office, “Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf) A printed newspaper follows these guidelines because the author writes the story and publishes that story as their own. “Works that are created as part of one’s employment are “works made for hire”. In this case, the employer owns the copyright from the get go, unless there is an agreement that says otherwise” (Russell). This could happen at a newspaper office because individuals are writing stories for a particular newspaper but the author of the article has done the research and the writing. When patrons are going to photocopy information they must think about the issue of Fair Use and make their best judgment.
Unfortunately for the newspaper industry times are changing. A paper boy delivering your newspaper to your home, on his bicycle is now a thing of the past. The internet is here to stay and we can have access to news 24/7 but how accurate is the news that we are receiving?
Bibliography:
Copyright Basics July 2008. Retrieved 20 Jun. 2009
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1
Giangreco, Leigh. "Out of Print: Newspapers Struggle to Survive in an Internet Age.” Buffalo News 13 May. 2009: N.18.
Kelly, John. "History You Can Hold in Your Hand.” The Washington Post 6 Nov. 2008: B.3.
Littmann, Mark. “American Newspapers and the Great Meteor Storm of 1833: A Case Study in Science Journalism.” Journalism & Communication Monographs Vol. 10 Issue 3 (Autumn2008): 250-284.
Russell, Carrie. Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians. United States: American Library Association, 2004.
Blog Entry 1
LIS 855
June 20, 2009
The news affects our everyday lives. News enters our homes through a multitude of technologies including print, television, internet, cell phones and PDAs. Our views and opinions are based on what we read and hear and how we perceive it. We want to believe that the news that we are reading online, in the newspaper or hearing is from a reputable source. How do we really know that the news we are hearing is true, reputable and following correct copyright laws? This blog is designed to explore how individuals use news on the internet compared to print news and whether it raises copyright concerns.
Almost everyone has read or at least seen a daily newspaper. According to the article entitled, “American Newspapers and the Great Meteor Storm of 1833: A Case Study in Science Journalism it states that, “In 1783, at the official conclusion of the American revolution, there were 35 newspapers in the United States. Three years later, in 1786, as Americans were preparing to draft a Constitution, the number had grown to 50. By 1833, the United States had 1200 newspapers. From the revolution through 1833, newspapers were expensive and available almost exclusively by subscription” (Littmann). Before the huge internet information development, almost every home had a subscription to a daily newspaper.
In our community, people still rely on the daily newspaper as their source of news. At the Public Library where I am employed, our collections of local and national newspapers are being read from opening to closing. Even though we have internet access available to all patrons, many prefer to have the printed copy rather than reading on the internet. Our senior citizens do not feel comfortable using the computers to “read” their daily papers. Most of our print news readers are apprehensive using the internet as they are not certain if the articles are from credible sources and are complete items. People think that when a story is written in paper the person who wrote it has their name published by the story and they can see the entire work in front of them. I think patrons are unsure about the internet because they have been told that the internet news is not always accurate. I know for a fact that E-newspapers are a great tool but sometimes it is missing part of the article and the pictures and extras are not available online. Patrons would be devastated if the print newspaper became an item of the past. According to an article by Leigh Giangreco, Lee Coppola states, “When I hold that newspaper in front of me, it’s different than reading it on a screen” (Giangreco). Due to the struggling economy many patrons must rely on their Library to provide periodicals and get their daily news. I found an interesting article that was printed in the Washington Post written by John Kelly entitled, “History You Can Hold in Your Hand.” It states that, “As artifacts go newspapers are not all that impressive. The newsprint is yellow and crumbly. The stories they relate-the wars, the coups, the triumphs, the tragedies- are quite literally yesterday’s news. We might turn to CNN when news is breaking, but when we want to remember that news-save it, commemorate it, prove that, yes, we were there when it actually happened-we don’t want pixels on glass. We want ink on paper” (Kelly). I think that for many people this statement is true. Even with the internet changing the way news is brought into our homes, patrons still like the idea of holding a newspaper in their hands, drinking a cup of coffee and reading it leisurely.
According to the US Copyright Office, “Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf) A printed newspaper follows these guidelines because the author writes the story and publishes that story as their own. “Works that are created as part of one’s employment are “works made for hire”. In this case, the employer owns the copyright from the get go, unless there is an agreement that says otherwise” (Russell). This could happen at a newspaper office because individuals are writing stories for a particular newspaper but the author of the article has done the research and the writing. When patrons are going to photocopy information they must think about the issue of Fair Use and make their best judgment.
Unfortunately for the newspaper industry times are changing. A paper boy delivering your newspaper to your home, on his bicycle is now a thing of the past. The internet is here to stay and we can have access to news 24/7 but how accurate is the news that we are receiving?
Bibliography:
Copyright Basics July 2008. Retrieved 20 Jun. 2009
Giangreco, Leigh. "Out of Print: Newspapers Struggle to Survive in an Internet Age.” Buffalo News 13 May. 2009: N.18.
Kelly, John. "History You Can Hold in Your Hand.” The Washington Post 6 Nov. 2008: B.3.
Littmann, Mark. “American Newspapers and the Great Meteor Storm of 1833: A Case Study in Science Journalism.” Journalism & Communication Monographs Vol. 10 Issue 3 (Autumn2008): 250-284.
Russell, Carrie. Complete Copyright: An Everyday Guide For Librarians. United States: American Library Association, 2004.
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