P3

Legal and Ethical Issues in Media and Information

  1. Plagiarism – The act of stealing another person’s work or ideas and presenting them as your own. Considered intellectual theft.

  2. Intellectual Property (IP) – The protection of creations of the mind that have moral and commercial value.

    • Types of Intellectual Property:

      • Trademark – A name, word, slogan, or symbol that identifies a product or organization (e.g., ™, ®).

      • Patent – A legal right granted for an invention, giving the owner exclusive control.

      • Copyright – A legal right that allows the creator to reproduce, sell, or distribute their material.

      • Infringement – The violation of copyright laws.

  3. Creative Commons (CC) – A nonprofit organization that provides licenses allowing creators to share their work under specific conditions.

  4. Public Domain – Works that are not covered by IP rights due to expiration or forfeiture of rights.

  5. Types of Creative Commons Licenses:

    • Attribution (BY): Requires giving credit to the creator.

    • Non-Commercial (NC): Cannot be used for profit.

    • No Derivative Works (ND): Cannot be modified.

    • Share Alike (SA): Can be modified, but the new work must have the same license.

Unethical Practices in Media and Information

  1. Fabrication – The creation of false data or results and presenting them as true.

  2. Falsification – The manipulation of research materials or data to achieve a certain result.

  3. Defamation – The act of issuing false statements that harm a person or entity.

    • Slander – Spoken defamatory statements.

    • Libel – Written defamatory statements.

  4. Fair Use – The right to use copyrighted material without permission under certain conditions, such as:

    • Commentary

    • Criticism

    • Reporting

    • Research

Guidelines for Fair Use:

  • The majority of your content must be original.

  • Provide proper credit to the original creator.

  • Non-commercial use is more likely to be considered fair use.

Societal Issues in the Information Age

  1. Digital Divide – The gap between those who have access to digital technology and those who do not.

  2. Internet Addiction – Excessive use of the internet to the point that it disrupts daily life.

Types of Internet Addiction:

  • Cybersexual Addiction – Overuse of adult content and chat rooms.

  • Cyber Relationship Addiction – Prioritizing online friendships or affairs over real-life relationships.

  • Net Compulsions – Excessive online gambling, shopping, or trading.

  • Information Overload – Obsessive web surfing and database searching.

  • Computer Addiction – Excessive gaming or programming.

Ways to Reduce Internet Addiction:

  • Schedule internet usage.

  • Answer emails and social media at set intervals.

  • Disable unnecessary notifications.

  • Engage in offline activities.

  • Spend more time with people in person.

Cybersecurity and Digital Crimes

  1. Phishing – A fraudulent attempt to steal sensitive information by pretending to be a trusted entity.

  2. Illegal Downloading – The unauthorized acquisition of digital files without proper rights.

  3. Digital Piracy – The illegal copying and selling of digital media (e.g., music, movies, software).