Monday, April 6, 2009

Copyright or "shareright?"



Rethinking copyright is like stirring a witch’s brew. The more I read about copyright, the more I am convinced that it should be related to a greater idea; a philosophy of learning, knowing, and sharing for a common good.

To re-think copyright it is essential to reflect about knowledge. The best contributions to the world have not been by one sole brain – the idea of having a genius who enlightens the world does not happen on the day to day. In reality intellectual creation is a product of collective intelligence; creation is the result of a process of collaboration. The best inventions to the world have been triggered by a person; then revised, improved, and maybe taken close to perfection due to collaboration (like software for example...). So; if we need to rethink copyright it must be with a broader mind where the right to access works is not hidden behind a law which has several gray areas.

The palpable example is our classrooms. It is in schools that intellectual collaboration happens all the time. It is through education and accessibility to the internet that our students find resources to add on to their learning and be part of a network of knowledge. Do we have to guide them to give credit to a work? Yes; but we do not need to present copyright as a threat to creation and learning. Do schools and teachers need to follow “the rule?” Yes; since that is the system. But, let’s not forget the most important point; education is not longer centered in one person; it is about a community of learning.

Note: I have to mention that the pictures used in this blog are taken from flicker and/or google images.

1 comment:

  1. Bravo. I agree very much with your final point about a shift in thinking being required due to a learning community using material vs. an individual. Our responsibility to the creators of work we use is only one part of the equation, we have also a duty to other members of our learning community to leave breadcrumbs on our journeys so we can better our mutual understanding. To that end, here is the link to the Flickr page with that pot in case our classmates are interested in what else the photographer is brewing! http://www.flickr.com/photos/34810848@N04/3232994107/

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