Playing by the rules
Playing by the rules
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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Copyright rules
The text and images on websites are often copyrighted by the person or company that created them – just like the DVDs and music you might buy in the shops.
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.
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 permission or quote the source.
Sticking to the rules
There are lots of ways you can watch films and television programmes 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.
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 a DVD from a shop.
eSafety Tip
If you are ever 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, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Bing) 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 saying where it has come from.
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Correct
Watch a film online legally
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Incorrect
Use photos or images without permission
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Correct
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.
Congratulations!
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.
