Copyright Education

The internet can be a wonderful thing, but it does have a significantly ugly underbelly. One of the worst aspects of the internet is that it has trained a generation of users that anything they can find on the web is theirs to use as they wish, simply because no one is there to stop them from stealing it and using it. The result is that “intellectual property” i.e. stuff people create like art, writing, photography, etc. has become devalued. Far too many internet users think they everything on the web should (and is) free for the taking. People who would would never dream of shoplifting or boosting a car have no qualms about appropriating internet content for their own use.

That’s why the above poster is so heart warming. This photo was taken by fellow caricature artist Michael Garisek at a local high school. He told me these are going up in a lot of schools, trying to educate young people that the stuff they look at and enjoy on the internet BELONGS TO SOMEONE, and to take it/use it without their permission is the same as stealing something like their phone or backpack. This kind of campaign is brilliant, and should have been started 25 years ago when the internet was just getting big. Teach kids to respect ideas and creative work as the property they are, like their bicycles or iPads. Hopefully this opens some eyes early enough to help make a difference down the road.

-Tom is on vacation outside the country, so comment moderation and responses may not happen for a while. Je suis désolé!-