Software+and+Data+Copyright

Introduction
Copyright means that the owner of a piece of work (music, image, text, video etc) has the right to decide what other people can do with it. People who copy a piece of work which is protected under copyright are breaking the law.

Video - what is copyright law
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Software Copyright
Commercial software is protected under copyright law. Making illegal copies of copyrighted software is known as software piracy. Software providers may try to prevent copyright theft by:
 * Providing users with a unique registration code with each purchase
 * Requesting that users register the program online after installation
 * Only allowing the program to run if the CD-ROM is in the computer's drive
 * Only allowing the program to run if a piece of hardware known as a dongle is plugged into the computer

Alternative software licensing models exist including: Freeware - the fully functioning version of the program is available free of charge Shareware - a version of the program is available free of charge, but some of the functionality is limited Open Source - the code for the program is available free to other developers, and they are allowed to use, modify and redistribute it

Data Copyright
The Internet has meant that all forms of copyrighted work are now available to download, breaking copyright agreement. Bit torrent sites allow users to share music and videos, and images are often copied online without the permission of the author. It is very difficult to protect the copying of films and music, although Digital Rights Management (DRM) has attempted to address this.

Video - YouTube and copyright
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Video - Movie Piracy - It's a Crime
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Video - Jack Black on Piracy
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Task 1
Investigate how Digital Rights Management works. Write a short paragraph to explain it.

Task 2
Do you think copyright laws are fair? Write a short speech either arguing for or against copyright laws. You will then present your case to the class.

Task 3
Copy and complete the table below to show **three legal sites** and **three illegal sites** for downloading music or video.



(Note: This task forms part of your assessment)