- Why should all Internet users be aware of copyrighted material? Users should be aware because some computers can make duplicates of copyrighted material, making the government think that they're stealing material and making a profit, so the user get fined for a crime they didn't commit.
- What is a GB? How many bytes are in GB? A GB is a gigabyte. There are 1,073,741,824 bytes in a gigabyte.
- What is the NET Act and what is its significance in the history of copyright? The No Electronic Theft Act, or NET, makes downloading illegal copies of copyrighted work a serious crime that could fine someone up to $1000. It's significant because it was the first time in history that copyright laws were applied to the Internet.
- What is a peer-to-peer architecture? Provide an example of at least one well-known peer-to-peer network. A peer-to-peer architecture is like a phonebook of files. It allows users to share files through the network of networks. One well-known peer-to-peer network is Napster.
- What is the DMCA and why is it significant to copyright? The Digital Millenium Copyright Act protects copyrights online from being distributed illegally.
- What are Open Access and Creative Commons? How have they impacted the sharing of digital information? Creative Commons gives artists a copyright license that they can use to claim their work. Open access means that there are no restrictions for copyright.
Free Response Questions - Before reading this chapter, were you aware of copyright infringement? When you put digital content (e.g. images, videos) in your apps, where did you get it from? Is it possible that you violated any copyright terms? Has the reading raised your awareness of how you use content found on the Internet? I was aware of copyright infringement. I am guilty of screenshoting, downloading music (even if it was my own music) from YouTube, or downloading videos for a project. However, I never violated any terms since they were just used for school and not used for making money, and the clips were short. The reading has raised my awareness. I'm worried the FBI will find me one day if I download an illegal movie.
- In your opinion, are YouTube users violating copyright terms when they make lyric videos? Why or why not? Yes. It's still music, unless they get full permission from the copyright holder.
- In your opinion, are computers that use DRAM violating copyright terms? Why or why not? No, because computers need DRAM to run.
- Select one of the technical innovations described in the chapter and write an explanation of the technical details of this innovation. Try to use terms that someone unfamiliar with the innovation would understand. One techical innovation used in this chapter is Napster, which allowed users to share music files, fast and simple. Napster works as a directory; it matches the file a user looks up to other users' files.
- Visit chillingeffects.org and read about digital copyright issues. Write a sentence or two describing your findings. I found out that if someone notices that copyright laws have been violated, they can go to the host website and get the copyrighted work taken down, even if the artist made it his own.