DIGITAL INFORMATION - Intellectual Property Part 2

OPENING QUESTION:

How is your Network Steaming Project coming along? Please discuss (remember, our goal here is to foster conversation, not tell each other what to do or what not to do)

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:  

During today's class I will:

  • make a coherent argument as to weather current copyright laws are helping or harming society using evidence from an article.

  • explain how copyright and Creative Commons Licenses can be applied to digital works of creativity

CALENDAR:

I'm thinking Unit Test on Monday (10/7/2024)

WORDS FOR TODAY:

I

  • innovation: "A new or improved idea, device, product, etc, or the development thereof
  • prototype: "A proof of concept"
  • CPU: Central Processing Unit
  • Binary: 0's & 1's - Base2
  • Hexadecimal Base16 - 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F
  • Byte: one binary 'word'
  • Bit: one binary 'letter' - either a 0 or 1
  • Abstraction: "The difference between the user layer and the software/hardware layer"
  • Compress -​ to decrease the number of bits used to represent a piece of information

Heuristic - a problem solving approach (algorithm) to find a satisfactory solution where finding an optimal or exact solution is impractical or impossible.

Lossless Compression - a data compression algorithm that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data.

Lossy Compression - a data compression algorithm that sacrifices some amount of the original data to decrease file size

Image - A type of data used for graphics or pictures.

metadata - is data that describes other data. For example, a digital image may include metadata that describe the size of the image, number of colors, or resolution.

Pixel - short for "picture element", the fundamental unit of a digital image, typically a tiny square or dot that contains a single point of color of a larger image.

Image - A type of data used for graphics or pictures.

metadata - is data that describes other data. For example, a digital image may include metadata that describe the size of the image, number of colors, or resolution

copyright - As soon as we create any sort of creative work it is immediately copyrighted. Difficulties can arise when we have to prove original work is ours.

Creative Commons Copyright - A specific type of copyright allowing creators (like us!) to assign certain types of rights - can change/can't change etc...

 

WORK O' THE DAY: 

Background: NBC launched the Star Trek series in 1966 and it ran three seasons before being cancelled.

  • The full length motion picture was released in 1979, followed by 5 more sequels that came out every 3 years thereafter.
  • The sequel series Star Trek: Next Generation debuted in 1985 and ran 7 seasons
  • The next sequel Star Trek: Deep Space Nine launched in 1993 and also ran 7 seasons
  • The next sequa Star Trek: Voyager Launched in 1998 and also ran 7 seasons
  • The last of the initial sequels, Star Trek: Enterprise launched in 2001 but only lasted 4 years.
  • A new series "Star Trek: Discovery" launched in 2017 and went 7 seasons
  • A more recent sequa Picard, launched in 2021 and went 3 seasons
  • The theatrical Star Trek movies were rebooted in 2009, two more followed thereafter.
  • A prequel series- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that takes place immediately before the original series time period launched last year and is still in production
  • An animated series aimed at younger audiences- Star Trek: Lower Decks launched in 2020 and is still in production
  • Dozens, well more likely hundreds of 'official' and 'unofficial' Star Trek books and comic books have been released over the last 50 years

Your task:

Be prepared to make an argument that addresses the following:

Did the "Star Trek Continues" Web Series Violate the Star Trek copy write held by CBS?

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The following videos may prove illustrative:

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Now take a look at this trailer for "Star Trek" - The Original Series (obviously I'm a big fan)

Compare and contrast that with the web series "Star Trek Continues" (especially the opening credits at around 5:25)

Also, take a look a the disclaimer for Star Trek Continues HERE

Answering/addressing the following questions may assist you in formalizing/finalizing your thoughts:

  • The notice on the Star Trek Continues website *clearly* states they are non-profit, are fan supported and make no profit from their series whatsoever. Does copy write law apply??
  • Does "creative commons' apply here?
  • What was the goal or purpose of the web series?
  • Is someone benefiting from this situation? If so, who?
  • Is someone being harmed in this situation? If so, who?
  • Are these impacts intended or unintended? How do you know?

 

Let's have a mini-debate. We'll divide into teams pro and con (you can't be on the fence here, you MUST choose one or the other)

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We'll continue on this tomorrow - Please work to develop your argument in regards to the following statement:

Are our current copyright policies helping society or hurting society?