Legal and Ethical Issues in Media

Legal, Ethical, and Societal Issues in Media and Information

• The presentation covers various legal, ethical, and societal issues related to media and information.
• Key topics include copyright, fair use, plagiarism, netiquette, digital divide, addiction, bullying, virtual self, and others.

Today's Presentation

• Copyright: Protects original works (writing, music, art).
• Fair Use: Allows reuse of copyrighted materials without permission, but limited uses like criticism and commentary are allowed. Four factors determine fair use: purposes and character of uses, amount and sustainability of work used, nature of the copyrighted work, and effect of use on the market.
• Plagiarism: Presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own.
• Netiquette: Good internet manners, including politeness, respect, correct writing, and respecting privacy.
• Digital Divide: Unequal access to technology and information.
• Addiction: Persistent urge to engage in certain behaviors, like technology or drugs.
• Bullying: Using strength to frighten or hurt weaker people. Includes physical, verbal, social and cyberbullying.
• Virtual Self: Virtual concepts of self in philosophy, sociology, and artificial intelligence.
• Others: Other issues related to media and information, such as online deception and censorship.

Objectives

• Identify the importance of legal, ethical, and societal issues in media and information.
• Examine given examples related to these issues.
• Develop understanding of consequences, advantages, and disadvantages.

Intellectual Property Rights

• Intellectual property rights pertain to the output of a person's intellectual pursuit, like literary and artistic works, inventions, logos, symbols, names, and images used commercially.
• Includes copyright, patent, trademark, and trade secrets.

Intellectual Property Rights (Four Key Rights)

• Copyright: A set of rights granted to an author/creator to restrict copying, redistribution, and reshaping of their content.
• Patent: Exclusive right for an invention (product or process). Typically needs a business attorney.
• Trademark: Legal protection for a logo, designation, or phrase.
• Trade Secret: Confidential business information providing a competitive advantage (industrial or commercial).

Importance of Copyright

• Allowing authors, professors, and researchers to prevent unauthorized or uncredited use helps protect their work and its value.

How to Avoid Copyright Infringement

• Receive permission, use images from the public domain, give credit, review ownerships rights on social media, and consider buying consent.

Copyright Infringement

• Using copyrighted works without permission, infringing rights to reproduce, distribute, display, perform the work or make derivative works.
• Violating copyright under Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code in Philippines).

Advantage and Disadvantages of Fair Use

• Advantage: Allows obtaining work without approval, just providing citation.
• Disadvantage: Potential greed to obtain others’ work and profit from it without proper credit and approval.

Importance of Fair Use

• Prevents copyright law from stifling research and criticism, balancing the right way of using others' work.

Examples of Fair Use

• Criticism; Commentary; News Reporting; Parody; Teaching.

Factors of Fair Use

• Purposes and character of uses; Amount and sustainability of work used; Nature of the copyrighted work; Effect of the use on the market.

Virtual Self

• The concepts of self in philosophy, sociology, and artificial intelligence, encompassing the virtual aspects of an individual.

Online Deception

• Digital deception in media and information, such as disinformation, cyber deception, and the use of technology to deceive online users.

Censored Works

• The internet nicknamed as 'Information Superhighway' aimed at providing average users with faster access to limitless data.
• Censorship ranges from well-intentioned efforts to protect from inappropriate content to authoritarian control over nations’ information access.

Defamatory Reproductions

• Communication of false statements about a person, including slanderous or libelous statements that damage reputation.

Media Manipulations

• Techniques in media influencing audience emotions, opinions, and behaviors, often by highlighting certain aspects to create a desired effect.

Visual Information and Media

• In media and information literacy, visual information plays a crucial role in modern communication, influencing perceptions and interactions with information.
• E.g., posters, infographics, videos showcasing scenic spots capture attention and convey beauty of attractions.