Why is it important to teach digital law in schools?

Regardless of whether or not students are aware of the digital laws governing their technology use, they are still accountable for their actions and subject to punishment for infractions.  As digital technology use becomes both necessary and commonplace in our society, it is important that students understand digital laws and the consequences of violating them.  Failure to understand and comply with digital laws can result in serious legal ramifications.  Thus, educators have a responsibility to make sure their students are informed and ready to use digital technology in a legal and ethical manner. 

Teaching Students About Digital Rights and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of teachers to educate their students about appropriate, responsible, and safe behavior within a digital environment. This education should include all nine elements of digital citizenship. One of the most common methods for providing students with this information is through the development of an Acceptable Use Policy. This provides a set of rules that students should follow when accessing an electronic network or the Internet. Most schools require that students review and sign an acceptable use policy before being granted access to the school's computers, electronic devices, and electronic network.

Plagiarism is defined as using someone else's thoughts or ideas as your own without properly giving them credit.  Put another way, plagiarism is intellectual theft. 

Oftentimes, plagiarism is intentional.  Other times, it is accidental.  Either way, plagiarizing can have serious consequences, including a failing grade, suspension or even expulsion. 

To avoid plagiarism, you need to understand what it is.  The following videos provide detailed explanations of plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Test Your Knowledge

Play the following games to test your knowledge of plagiarism and proper citation:

- The Plagiarism Game by Lycoming College

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines copyright as "the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (such as a literary, musical, or artistic work)". 

Copyright law is used to protect intellectual property from theft and is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States, which is contained in Title 17 of the United States Code.  (Please note that if you are using copyrighted materials from other countries, you must abide by the copyright law of the country of origin for the material being used.)

In order to use copyrighted material, you must obtain permission from the copyright holder in accordance with the law mentioned above.  Failure to do so can result in a civil lawsuit, fine or other legal action.  The one exception is use of material that is deemed "fair use".  You can read the U.S. Copyright Office's description of fair use here.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines fair use as "a legal doctrine that portions of copyrighted materials may be used without permission of the copyright owner provided the use is fair and reasonable, does not substantially impair the value of the materials, and does not curtail the profits reasonably expected by the owner". 

Knowing when something is covered by fair use is not easy.  There are many gray areas.  Fortunately, there are online tools available to help us. 

- Emerson College Fair Use Tool

- Purdue University Fair Use Information and Analysis Tool