IPRs and Copyright in E-Learning

Not long ago, IPRs of e-learning were considered ambiguous due to the “lack of knowledge and expertise about IPRs and how to manage them” (Casey. J, 2004, p3).  Consciousness related to IPRs has increased due to their vital role in all sectors.  Nowadays, there is such urged for the protection of the contents of e-learning and for the further improvement in the e-learning system itself.  Content created in e-learning involves a lot of work and effort by developers thus its’ respective IPR must be appreciated by others.  Developers of these e-learning resources should clearly establish who can access and utilize them through their particular IPR information. 

I came across a very good definition of IPR. which is “the legal protection available in relation to certain property that is intangible which can be created by individuals.” (Casey. J, 2004, p4)  IPR is directed by other laws and rights such as Copyright which involves “the right to grant or withhold the right to others to make copies of the work.” (Casey. J, 2004, p6).  There are various interesting copyright features which one would not consider such as that:

·        Copyright protects the originality and skill of the particular work. 

·        Once the intellectual content is produced, the developer can instantly apply the copyright law on his/her work. 

·        If the intellectual work is produced by more than one individual, each of them would be the author. 

However, ideas and concepts are not protected by copyright law; they can be utilized without the permission of the inventor.  Regarding employment and work of place, if the intellectual work is created on the work premises and during work time, the employer owns that particular work.

Some teachers and educators create various resources and intellectual work such as notes, Power Point presentations which they do not share with nobody else!  Incorporating these resources in an online learning environment such as e-learning, “these resources are already subject to IPR law, but storing and sharing them in this new and very public manner makes it important to ensure that these resources comply with IPR law and can be protected by it.” (Casey. J, 2004, p4)

Because of IPR, teachers may be more motivated to share their resources if they know that their resources will be protected with IPR law and will not be re-produced but only re-used with permission.

Reference:

Casey. J (2004). Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Networked e-Learning. A Beginners Guide for Content Developers.  JISClegal information. Retrieved 6-1-11 from http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/Portals/12/Documents/PDFs/johncasey.pdf