The Quagmire of Copyright

John Green, author of the best-seller novel The Fault In Our Stars, created this video illustrating the complexity of copyright in an age where remixing others' works is increasingly popular. Although this is not an uncommon phenomenon, in his humorous video, he asks intriguing questions as he tracks down contributors to a poster based on his book.

 


Oh and if you don't know about Green's bestseller, The Fault In Our Stars, be sure to find out. I've heard from librarians and many others it's one of the best books of the year.  Learn more about The Fault in Our Stars, and read some quick reviews.

What's your response to Green's message about copyright? What concerns do you have about copyright in the age of Internet, online collaboration, and ready access to photographs, music, and so much more?

If you've read Green's The Fault in Our Stars, do you agree with the rave reviews? (The novel ties in the "Number 1" slot with The Perks of Being a Wallflower on many Young Adult Best Sellers Lists.)

Where Can I Find Legal Music for Videos?

cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo shared by craigCloutier

As many of you already know, I am fan of Flickr's Creative Commons for finding images to use in blogs, websites, wikis, and other online spaces. I blogged about this resource earlier, "Need Photos for Your Blogs Posts."

Now, what about music? One locator is Creative Commons Legal Music for Videos. Of the sites Creative Commons lists, which have you used? What are your recommendations for locating music to use legally in videos?

Need Photos for Your Blog Posts

Check Flickr's Creative Commons to find photos you can freely use on your blog according to the licensing restrictions. Some are free to use unaltered, whereas other can be altered. For most you need to attribute the source, and Flickr makes this easy. If you already have a Flickr account, and want to stockpile photos to use in the future, you can save them as favorites or in a gallery. You don't need a Flickr account, however, if you just want to grab some photos occasionally. Simply use the Flickr Creative Commons to get what you want on as needed basis.

Recently. Flickr wrote a post celebrating the 5th Anniversary of its Flickr Commons. Check the post for information on how to use the Commons to find photos. Here is an example of a photo I found there today that struck me of interest simply because it's eye catching. I used the embed code to place both the photo and attribution easily into this blog post.

 

cc licensed ( ) flickr photo shared by National Maritime Museum

Here is a photo that I found that spoke to my teaching philosophy especially when bringing technology into the classroom.

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by gcouros

Here is what the attribution boxes look like in Flickr for photos that can be shared with attribution. You have two choices.

• Method 1: copy the embed code (Attribution HTML), which will copy both the picture and the attribution into HTML screen (see the html option in the Blogger toolbar) 
• Method 2: Copy the attribution information (Attribution Text), which you can then simply copy in your blog after you have inserted the photo that you have downloaded and inserted. 

Illustrations below: Attribution (HTML) or Attribution (text)