5.+My+Report

**LACK OF © REATIVITY OR LACK OF JUDGEMENT** The use of digital data covered by Copyright in a multimedia production reflects a lack of creativity and is against the law in all circumstances. //**
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 Why would someone include digital data covered by copyright in their multimedia production if they could create their own works to use? Using someone else’s copyrighted work does show a lack of creativity in the sense of being original. For example, if a person used a handful of copyrighted images in their multimedia production, this shows lack of creativity because the images aren’t original and weren’t created by the person. It shows they have just copied someone else’s work without attempting to create something new through their own effort. It could been seen as similar to copying someone’s homework and using it for your own benefit. If you are creative, you have the ability to take traditional things and create meaningful new ideas or forms. Using a work owned and created by someone else definitely does not reflect this.
 * With the vast developments in technology, the use of digital data such as images, video, audio, text and animation has expanded significantly. To protect the works of authors and to secure the media market, copyright law was introduced in Australia, May 1969 (Australian Copyright Council, 1994). Copyright protects not only digital data, but numerous other types of works. It is a right that allows creators to stop others from copying and using their works without permission and provides financial incentive to make new innovations for the public (Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft; MCEETYA, n.d.; Millersville University, 2010). Although proven beneficial, copyright has also brought up some issues especially in the multimedia department. Multimedia, hence the name, combines two or more different types of media. One issue is if the use of digital data covered by copyright in a multimedia production shows lack of creativity and is against the law in all circumstances. Creative meaning to be original and imaginative (Dictionary.com, 2010). First we will focus on arguments supporting this statement. **

On the other hand, using copyrighted digital data in a multimedia production does not necessarily reflect a lack of creativity in terms of being imaginative. For example, if someone created a mash-up or remix using numerous songs and put this into their multimedia production. Being able to choose appropriate digital data and manipulate them into a new product shows a great sense of creativity and innovation.

media type="custom" key="5744907" //Upular- Pogo (Composed using chords, bass notes and vocal samples from Disney Pixar film Up accompanied with video)////.// This production and "A Fair(y) Use Tale video" [] include text, video, animation, image and sound. You can see that they definitely don’t show a lack of creativity overall. They provide a new way of looking at the data and is like a development of the digital data being used.

media type="custom" key="5745055" //Beginning of Shark Tale (2004)//

Using such digital data can also be used for inspiration or for satire. In this case, the data is being used for a specific creative purpose. For example, the snippet above uses the //Jaws // theme song to create sarcastic suspense. The audience will relate more to the production and understand its purpose better than if an unfamiliar and new track was used. In this case, the intended response from the audience is delayed, because they don’t catch on the satire as quick.

Furthermore, a person may have used copyrighted digital data in their multimedia production because they felt it was very suitable for their production and fitted well with the other components in it. In television advertisements, songs made by other people are used because they suit the campaign, not because they lack creativity. On the whole, the advertisement may look very artistic and attract many customers. Choosing a familiar and catchy song will also help attract more customers because they are more likely to remember the ad. Being able to choose certain data that is suitable and adapting it to a production shows creative skills. People who lack creativity would not be able to incorporate media that complements their multimedia project. The producer of the multimedia product may also use copyrighted material because it is more accurate than what they could produce themselves e.g. an interactive textbook on CD using copyrighted image of a microscopic cell.

Using digital data covered by copyright is against the law unless given permission to do so. Doing this is considered infringement and can attract a $60,500 fine or 5 years imprisonment (Australian Copyright Council, 1994). Depending on the purpose of the multimedia production however, under the Australian Copyright Act, Fair use exception may allow the user to use the data without constituting infringement of the work. Fair dealing in Australia is confined to the following purposes: research or study, reporting of news and for criticism or review (Australian Government, 2009). Most copyrighted works prevent the use of commercial use, which is using the work to gain profit, but allow it for personal use. There are also special exceptions for specific users such as libraries, government and educators (Australian Copyright Council, 1994). Some creators allow other people to use their works if they attribute them. Copyright in Australia also expires 70 years after the work is created. After that time, it is deemed to be in the public domain (Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft; MCEETYA, n.d.) and copyright free. These are some ways in which using protected digital data is legal.

In conclusion, there are many arguments for and against this statement. Just copying someone else’s work without individual effort reflects lack of creativity, however when copyrighted digital data is used in compilations, for inspiration, satire and is suitable for the production, show reasons against this statement. What the multimedia production is intended for determines whether it is illegal to use copyrighted data, but generally in most cases, when it is used without permission especially for commercial use, it is considered against the law.

In my personal opinion, it depends on the purpose of the production to determine whether the use of digital data covered by copyright in a multimedia production reflects a lack of creativity. If copyrighted media is put into a multimedia project because the person is lazy or doesn’t want to think for themselves, then yes this shows a lack of creativity and lack of effort. However, if a student uses copyrighted material in their assignment for example, this reflects more lack of skill than creativity. For example, a student may include a video of how rockets are built in their presentation. The student obviously can’t construct their own raw video so they must use available material to substitute this limitation.

The use of copyrighted material also reflects lack of time, money and equipment. For example, another student wants to include a role play of something in her multimedia presentation may not have enough time to shoot the play, money to hire a professional crew or make props and equipment to shoot the video. So she might try to find a video that already exists that is similar to what she envisioned. Both examples show that the students are being creative in how they deal with their situation and an easy solution is to legally use copyrighted material.

Therefore use of digital data covered by Copyright in a multimedia production does not reflect a lack of creativity and is not against the law in all circumstances.