Playing by the rules

 

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Playing by the rules

A magical glow appears from a lit up screen of a tablet

What's coming up?

There are a lot of great things on the internet - pictures, stories, even films. Some of it is free to use however you want, but sometimes there can be restrictions.

In this activity, you'll learn about internet copyright, as well as website terms and conditions.

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Music, TV and movie icons

Copyright rules

The text and images on websites are often copyrighted by the person or company that created them.

Online music, TV shows and films are also copyrighted.

This symbol means that an item is protected under copyright law. The owner of the item has the right to control how and when it's used.

The copyright symbol
A website shows a heading that has been highlighted and selected, and then been clicked with the right mouse button. This has reveled a menu where there is an option to copy the text.

It's against the law to copy, edit or reproduce content without permission.

If you do use text or images from a website, you should ask for and receive permission before using them, and always quote the source in your work.

Sticking to the rules

There are lots of ways you can watch films and television programs online. For example, you can use ABC iview or Netflix. You can also download and listen to music using applications like Spotify or iTunes. These are all perfectly legal as well as being convenient and cheap – or in some cases even free. Find out more about these great options in our TV, movie and music streaming services course.

However, there are also many websites that allow people to illegally download music or films. While this may seem harmless, it is as illegal as stealing things from a shop.

A computer screen shows various entertainment streaming logos.
An icon of a padlock

eSafety tip

If you are not sure if a website is allowing you to legally watch or download things, do some research into it. Look up the website using your web browser (such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Apple Safari) and see what people say about it. You can usually find information telling you if it's a trusted website or not.

What does the law say?

Which of the following should you not do?

Use someone else's words or images without permission or saying where it has come from.

Click to flip

Correct

Watch a film online legally

Click to flip

Incorrect. There are many services that allow you to pay to view films legally.

Use photos or images without permission

Click to flip

Correct

A woman sits at a cafe table drinking a coffee with her laptop open to a Terms and Conditions page of a website

Terms and conditions

Many websites have terms and conditions, which are the rules which govern how you should use the site.

If you are going to sign up or register for something online, you will probably need to agree to the terms and conditions. Make sure you read them before you agree to them and use the site. If you don't, you might break the rules without realising it and the site owner might limit your use of the site or close down your account altogether.

Well done!

You've come to the end of the Playing by the rules activity.

You've found out about the issues surrounding online copyright and the importance of website terms and conditions.

Up next, if you have registered and are logged into the Be Connected website, you'll now be able to take a short quiz to finish the course. If you're not registered, you are now at the end of the course.

A man proudly and independently uses his tablet