The youth of today have a world much different than even the generation prior. Technology and the internet are such a large part of their lives, it is hard to even help this generation grasp the concept of a time before Smartphones, motion activated video games and online gaming or classrooms. Amazingly, however, teaching youngsters that the theft of intellectual property is wrong or what it is at all has become a bit of a challenge.
This is challenging partly because it is often times difficult to explain or comprehend the theft of something when it is not even tangible. Just as generations before have had to learn about plagiarism as the theft of another writer’s words, this generation needs to learn about the need to protect intellectual property. Generally the concept is much the same as it is when applied to plagiarism.
Understanding Intellectual Property Rights
To comprehend intellectual property rights (IPR), one must understand what IP or intellectual property is. Just as words are to a writer, other creations that can be found online are the intellectual property of the person who created them. Whether it is words, design, photos or other things found online, IP is not usually created with the intention of allowing it to be stolen.
It is, of course, much harder to protect the rights of something that is intangible, especially when it comes to copying it. While an invention could have a copyright or trademark, most IP only has the IPR a creator should have. The IPR is intended to protect one’s intellectual property from being stolen or misused, but it doesn’t always work as quickly or easily as it should.
How the Abuse, Misuse and Theft Occurs
The most common way people end up stealing IP is by illegal downloads. The problem is that it has become so common, many people do not seem to act as though they know or believe it is illegal. For this reason, today’s youth seems to be growing up in a cyberworld where the theft of IP is not even considered theft. Software has been one of the industries hit hardest by theft through illegal downloads.
So how can anyone reverse this problem by informing youth of this problem? The newly created B4USurf.org was designed with exactly this mission in mind. This free and informative website is meant to help the youth of today understand what is right and wrong when it comes to surfing the web and using intellectual property. The site’s intention is to bring awareness to anyone ready to use the internet of what exactly IPR is and how to avoid stealing or downloading any intellectual property that could actually be illegal.
Much of the goal behind this site is to put a dent in the growing amount of software piracy that occurs on a regular basis. Because illegal use or misuse of IP can happen almost accidentally in some cases, the purpose of the site it also to help all web surfers know what to look for and how to avoid illegal activity.
Comments