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As the previous two chapters have made
evident, there are many ways in which communication
technologies can enhance your presentations. Of all
these technologies, the Web provides a rich and
exciting source of information for you to access.
However, although the Web encourages a sense of
shared information, most Web text, sound, and
artwork is probably copyrighted. In fact, much of
the material, Web and otherwise, that you might use
for a presentation probably belongs to someone
else. Yet just because this material is copyrighted
does not necessarily mean you can not use it--four
conditions, known as "fair use," allow you to use
material under certain condtions without requesting
permission. Chapter 19 of Oral Presentations for
Technical Communication explores the legal and
ethical issues you need to consider before using
someone else's material in your own presentation.
This chapter covers the following topics:
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Copying and Scanning Images--a
Scenario
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Copyright--An Overview
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When and How You Can Use Copyrighted
Material
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Using Material from the Web
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Using Visuals from Printed Material
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Even if It's Legal, Give Credit
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These exercises build on the ideas addressed
in Chapter 19:
1. Your manager asks you to scan in an image,
then modify this image and use it in a company
presentation. If you were to perform this action,
would you be infringing copyright? Why or why
not?
2. Even if you were not infringing copyright in
Question #1, would you be comfortable with
performing what your boss has requested? Why or why
not?
Presentations and Cyberspace. Using any
search engine you like, do a search on the phrase
"clip art." You will probably locate at least 25
pages. Carefully look at each page and see if you
can determine which pages offer copyright- free
images and which do not. Notice how many of the
pages are actually advertisements for clip art
services. Make a list of copyright free pages and
share this list with class.
Presentations and Teamwork. Go to the
Library
of Congress copyright Web site.
Have some team members read "Copyright
Basics"
and other copyright circulars. Have other team
members read information about recent copyright
legislation. Prepare an informative presentation
for class.
Presentations and International
Communication. The copyright law discussed in
this chapter is the U.S. law. Yet every country has
its own views on ownership of intellectual property
and its own copyright laws. Given how technologies
like the Web allow access to information that
crosses national boundaries, a group called the
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has
been formed to consider ways that intellectual
property (copyright, patent, trademark) law can be
dealt with at a global level. With one or two other
students, go to the WIPO
Web site
and to an online
list of embassy contact information
and learn what you can about the different concepts
and laws of copyright in other countries.
Presentations and Your Profession. A
legal doctrine called "works for hire" states that
in most cases, work you do for an employer is
automatically owned by that employer, while work
you do as a consultant is usually owned by you
(unless your contract with a client states
otherwise). Interview two professionals in your
field--one employed full time by an organization
and one who works as a consultant-- and ask each
professional about how he or she deals with
copyright issues.
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