Using and Citing Sources

Copy and Paste is nearly student's best friend. But think for a second. What if you spent a ton of time coming up with a very original drawing, photo, or piece of writing? Imagine you posted this on the Internet to share with friends and the world. You discover that you’re super popular and that everyone is copying your work for their own projects. Then you find out that people are using your great idea but not giving you credit. They are acting as though the idea dropped off a big idea tree – free to anyone who wants it.

In this Module you will learn that taking other peoples' ideas for free is not how the real world works. There’s something called intellectual property. This means that your ideas belong to you. The law is on your side with this. That’s why when you watch a DVD, there’s an FBI warning at the beginning. It says you could get in big trouble for copying or distributing the movie without the owners’ permission. Most people ignore that warning. Bad idea. You will learn how to give people credit for the stuff you borrow. You’ll also learn what you are allowed to copy and paste and what you are not allowed to copy and paste. Remember, just because the Internet is easy to get to doesn’t mean it’s a place where everything is free for the taking.