Comments to Karen Sigmon Week 1 Reading

1 comments:

1. 
   Jessica Bistram6/3/12 12:41 AM

   Karen I hear what you are saying and had the same reaction after viewing the film. It worries me that so many things can be lost because of something that is intended to protect people who create the work. The history piece is one that I never really thought of. Copyright seems to be something that everyone knows about, but not many understand it. I too feel overwhelmed with all of the rules and it never occurred to me that something so important could just disappear because the time has run out. It makes me sick to think that the money to restore the copyright is half a million dollars. What does that say about our society? I bet that if more people knew this was happening there would be more outrage. I am interested to see what will happen and would love to hear your thoughts on what role you could take.

   
   

   Original post by Karen Sigmon:

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2012

A Disappearing Act

After viewing the video on the soon-to-be-lost pieces of history because of exorbitant copyright expenses, I am rendered speechless.  I think of how often I've shown Dr. King's Free at Last speech to my 2nd and 3rd grade class and I am incensed at the thought of NOT being able to do that because the powers that be want to collect hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of dollars to copyright it.  It's robbery.  My students, many of whom are black, are going to lose yet ANOTHER part of their history, because another well-intentioned (governmental?) agency has been allowed to operate without boundaries (or even a little common sense) and we the people, are going to suffer the consequences.

I may be in the minority, but it just makes me want to break the law, just out of spite.  Am I the only one who thinks in this deviant manner?  I hate thinking about the fact that one day (in the not-so-distant-future), it may come to choosing lawlessness just to educate my students (and children).  And in some cases, it stems from greed.  The selfishness of people never ceases to amaze me.  Don't get me wrong.  I understand and firmly believe that copyright laws are meant to secure and guarantee that the "form" of someone's idea needs to be protected, but I also believe that we need to exercise some kind of common sense, and that is where we have fallen off the wagon and let wisdom fall by the wayside.  There needs to be a balance.

Unfortunately, unless something is done to stop the madness, it will only continue to spiral out of control and before long, we won't be listening or watching (or dancing - who knew?) to anything that isn't our OWN idea because the copyright laws will be so ridiculous that no one will be able to afford to produce any type of work due to the burden of copyright.

This certainly has me thinking.  I'm sensing some action needs to be taken here and I'm going to think about what my role will be in taking it.