1.
I can legally burn back-up DVDs for my own home collection.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
It is illegal to copy your personal copyrighted DVD collection for the purpose of backing it up. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act makes it a crime to circumvent anti-piracy measures built into your commercial DVDs (UCLA: 2001). This means that if you have to decode a DVD in order to copy it, even for personal purposes, you are breaking the law. Proposals to count this action as exempt from the DMCA have been rejected by the Copyright Office. (Lohmann:2005)
2.
I can legally share my Hollywood DVD collection with my friends by either uploading them to the internet or burning copies, as long as I don’t sell them for profit.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
It doesn’t matter whether or not you are making any money off the deal; the government will still hold you as an infringer if you upload your copyrighted DVDs to the internet or burn copies for your friends to watch.
In 1997, congress enacted the “No Electronic Theft (NET) Act” to facilitate prosecution of copyright violation on the internet. “The NET Act makes it a federal crime to reproduce, distribute, or share copies of electronic copyrighted works such as songs, movies, games, or software programs, even if the person copying or distributing the material acts without commercial purpose and/or receives no private financial gain.” (IU: 2008)
As for making copies and distributing them to your friends, the DMCA makes it illegal for you make your commercial DVDs “burnable” by cracking the anti-piracy codes encrypted on them.
3.
I can legally upload scenes from my favorite Hollywood movies to youtube.com.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
Any copyrighted video that is uploaded to youtube.com must first be authorized by the copyright holder to do so. If you upload movies that you didn’t create without the permission of the copyright holder, you are an infringer. The youtube.com website gives a few “guiding principles” that you can refer to when thinking about uploading video.
“It doesn't matter how long or short the clip is, or exactly how it got to YouTube. If you taped it off cable, videotaped your TV screen, or downloaded it from some other website, it is still copyrighted, and requires the copyright owner's permission to distribute.
It doesn't matter whether or not you give credit to the owner/author/songwriter—it is still copyrighted.
It doesn't matter that you are not selling the video for money—it is still copyrighted.
It doesn't matter whether or not the video contains a copyright notice—it is still copyrighted.
It doesn't matter whether other similar videos appear on our site—it is still copyrighted.
It doesn't matter if you created a video made of short clips of copyrighted content—even though you edited it together, the content is still copyrighted.” (You Tube:2008)
4.
If I rent a DVD I can copy it for later or repeat viewing.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
It is illegal to rent a Hollywood DVD and then make a copy so that you can watch it later. In fact, it is illegal to make a copy of a Hollywood DVD even if you own it. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act makes it a crime to circumvent anti-piracy measures built into your commercial DVDs (UCLA: 2001). This means that if you have to decode a DVD in order to make a copy of it, even for personal purposes, you are breaking the law. (Lohmann:2005) Although some “time-shifting” activities (like TiVo) are legal, burning rented DVD’s is not.
5.
Even if I pay a subscription fee to an online movie distribution site, I am still not protected from being accused of copyright infringement.
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation
You must be careful when subscribing to internet services that give you access to movie files. Some of these sites are not legal. “An individual can still be sued by the Recording Industry Association of America if a Web site falsely promotes the sale of its [movies] as ‘legal’ when the [movie] has not been obtained through legal means. File sharing programs are only legal when they pay licenses to copyright holders (like Ruckus and iTunes do) or when they are used to upload and download material that you have created and therefore own the copyright to.” (Office of Information Technology:2008)
6.
I can copy and share movies that are in the “public domain”.
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation
A work that is in the “public domain” means that it is no longer protected by copyright law. However, just because a movie is black and white that doesn’t mean it is in the public domain. There are three reasons why a work can no longer be protected:
1. The author failed to comply with the requisites of copyright law.
2. The work is a work of the US government.
3. The term of copyright has expired. (see chart below)
For updates go to: http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm
7.
I can legally burn copies of my DVDs so that when I watch them I don’t have to watch the “unskippable” ads at the beginning of each one.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
It is illegal to burn your copyrighted DVDs so that you don’t have to watch the annoying ads that you can’t skip. Proposals to count this action as exempt from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act have been rejected by the Copyright office. (Lohmann;2005)
8.
If it doesn't have a copyright notice, then it isn't copyrighted and I can use it.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
Since 1989, it can be assumed that all created work is copyrighted, whether or not there is notice posted.
9.
What is copyright? Check all that apply.
Correct Answer(s)
A. A legal protection that guarantees that only the original creator of the work has the right to use it.
B. A legal protection against copying and using original work.
D. A legal intellectual property protection that is in place for a certain amount of time.
Explanation
Copyright is a legal protection that guarantees that only the original creator of the work has the right to use it. It is also a legal protection against copying and using original work. Additionally, it is a legal intellectual property protection that is in place for a certain amount of time. This means that the original creator has exclusive rights to their work and can prevent others from using or copying it without permission. These protections are in place for a specific duration, allowing the creator to profit from their work for a certain period.
10.
What is fair use? Check all that apply.
Correct Answer
D. It is US law that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission but only under certain circumstances.
Explanation
Fair use allows for parodies or social criticism, among other things. It is a gray and hazy area.
11.
What is public domain?
Correct Answer
A. Work belonging to the public as a whole.
Explanation
Public domain refers to creative works that are not protected by intellectual property rights, such as copyright, and are available for anyone to use, modify, or distribute without permission or payment. These works are considered to belong to the public as a whole, meaning that they are free from any exclusive ownership or control. This can include various types of works, such as literature, music, art, and scientific discoveries, that have either expired copyrights or have been intentionally released into the public domain by their creators.
12.
How long before an item loses its copyright?
Correct Answer
D. 75 years
Explanation
An item loses its copyright after 75 years. This means that after 75 years from the time the item was created or published, it enters the public domain and can be freely used, copied, and distributed by anyone without permission or payment. This allows for the item to be widely accessible and used for various purposes, such as in educational materials, creative projects, or historical research, without infringing on copyright laws.
13.
What is fair use?
Correct Answer
B. It can be used for educational purposes.
Explanation
Fair use refers to the legal doctrine that allows for the limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner. It is based on the principle that certain uses of copyrighted material, such as for educational purposes, criticism, commentary, or news reporting, are considered fair and do not infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder. Therefore, the statement "It can be used for educational purposes" accurately describes one of the conditions under which fair use applies.
14.
To qualify for copyright protection what must the work be?
Correct Answer
B. Original, creative to a minimal degree, and in a fixed or tangible form of expression.
Explanation
For a work to qualify for copyright protection, it must be original, meaning it is not copied from someone else's work. It must also be creative to a minimal degree, indicating that it involves some level of originality and artistic expression. Additionally, the work must exist in a fixed or tangible form of expression, such as a written document, a recorded audio or video, or a physical artwork. The option "All of the above" is incorrect because it includes the choice "Anything," which is not a valid requirement for copyright protection.
15.
Is using copyrighted material without the creator's consent considered stealing?
Correct Answer
A. Yes
Explanation
Using copyrighted material without the creator's consent is considered stealing because it infringes on the creator's exclusive rights to their work. Copyright laws are in place to protect the rights of creators and to ensure that they have control over the use and distribution of their work. When someone uses copyrighted material without permission, they are essentially taking something that does not belong to them, which is the definition of stealing.
16.
Media such as music and video have very strict copyright laws, what is the percentage of use of a particular item?
Correct Answer
D. 10%
Explanation
The question is asking about the percentage of use of a particular item in media such as music and video. The correct answer is 10%, indicating that only a small portion of the item can be used without violating strict copyright laws. This suggests that the majority of the item cannot be used without proper authorization or licensing.
17.
Movies are copyrighted.
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation
Movies are protected by copyright laws, which means that the creators of the movies have exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and display their work. This means that unauthorized copying or distribution of movies is illegal without permission from the copyright owner. Therefore, the statement "Movies are copyrighted" is true.
18.
You can use 1 minute of a 2 minute song for your project.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The statement says that you can use 1 minute of a 2 minute song for your project. However, this is not true. In order to use any part of a song for your project, you generally need to obtain permission from the copyright holder or license the song through a music licensing platform. Simply using a portion of a song without permission can be a violation of copyright law. Therefore, the correct answer is False.
19.
Fair Use means that you may use part of copyrighted material for your class project.
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation
Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner. In this case, using part of copyrighted material for a class project falls under fair use, as it is for educational purposes and does not negatively impact the market value of the original work. Therefore, the statement "Fair Use means that you may use part of copyrighted material for your class project" is true.
20.
You can use 4 minutes of a movie that lasts 3 hours for your project.
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation
The statement says that you can use 4 minutes of a movie that lasts 3 hours for your project, which is false. If a movie lasts for 3 hours, you cannot use only 4 minutes of it for your project. This would be a very small portion of the movie and may not provide enough context or content for your project.