Copyright and the Internet

Staying legal online.

Downloading and sharing movies Memes and pictures Music Other key points Activity

Plan

Downloading movies from the internet for free is generally illegal, as we all know Royalties are not being paid These movies belong to the copyright owner, who

deserves the money they are entitled to Smaller, independent studios sometimes struggle as

people illegally download their movies Sharing downloaded movies between friends is also

illegal This can include whether the friend purchased them

legally or downloaded them illegally

Movies

Memes are illegal in Australia Why do you think this might be?

Altering or changing pictures can also be illegal

When you share an image that is copyrighted, you can be liable

Memes and pictures

Listening to music via streaming sites or radio is generally okay Artists and studios have negotiated agreements with

these services for the playing of their music Remember though, with sites like youtube.com,

the user uploading the content may not have permission to use the music

Downloading music is illegal This includes sharing music from your friend’s hard

drive

Music

Possession of copyright content without a licence can result in significant fines and even jail

Works in the public domain may be subject to other kinds of copyright EG a piece of music may not be copyrighted, but the recording

of a performance may be Breaching copyright can include format-shifting (changing

the format from say, digital to DVD) When uploading content to websites, make sure you are

aware of how it affects you as a user Read the terms and conditions Find out if they can use your content without your permission

Other key facts

Get into a group of 3 or 4 Miss McKay will give you a piece of paper

with a scenario on it You need to determine whether that

person’s use of the material is legal, illegal, or in a grey area

Activity

Do you think the current rules are fair? Why/why not?

Australians typically pirate more movies and TV shows than any other country Are you able to find some reasons? Do you think these are justified? What do you think should be done to make

pirating movies and TV shows less desirable?

Discussion