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HW6case, Q3

Q3 (34 pts.). Write up your case on your blog with the following subheadings: “The facts of the case.” Here is where you describe the case in your own words. “Analysis.” Examine the case in terms of the questions and/or discussion. In-class students: also reflect on the challenges and possible solutions involved in leading a discussion in a classroom or workplace setting. “My conclusions.” Your conclusions and opinions about the case. Be sure to explain and justify what you write. 3 sentences of average length or more. “Future environment.” Describe your vision of a future in which technology is more advanced than today, or society has changed in some significant way, such that the ethical issues of the case would be even more important than it is in today’s world. 3 sentences of average length or more. “Future scenario.” Describe how this ethical case (or an analogous one) would or should play out in the environment of the future, and give your opinions about it. 3 sentences of average length or more. Answer: Facts of the Case According to the United Kingdom’s Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) White Paper Series, one of the core activities of the RAS Network is to address the associated ethical issues that come with rapid technological advances of robotics and artificial intelligences (AI). These papers are to serve as a basis for discussing the future technological roadmaps, engaging the wider community, as well as policy makers, in assessing the potential social, economic, and ethical/legal impact of RAS. The top ethical concerns raised by RAS are: bias, deception, employment, opacity, safety, oversight, and privacy.

Analysis This was an interesting paper to read through. Some of the concerns addressed like safety, employment, and privacy were concerns that I have heard in other places that talk about AI and robotics in the future. This goes for movies and other sci-fi avenues as well. But the others were interesting to discuss as well. Oversight and opacity were issues addressed in I, Robot, and the concept of deception was the main story arch in the movie Deus Ex Machina. Also, I have read before about how AI is being programmed unknowingly with bias, especially in current face recognition software against people of color. Seeing these explained in a scientific way was very enlightening. In the paper, it also states that not all of these concerns are “black and white,” but there is a lot of layover in-between them. Concerns over oversight and opacity were common, as well as concerns over privacy and bias.

My Conclusions In general, I am more concerned about the coming age of robotics and AI, but it seems inevitable that will come to pass. I just hope that we, as a species, take all of these concerns seriously, and integrate other concerns as they will also inevitably pop up. It is a very thin line to walk between a utopian future with RAS and a dystopian future with Skynet.

Future Environment It won’t be hard to imagine a future with RAS, as we have several movies and books that do that already. Maybe not as fantastical as the cartoon series The Jetsons, but again, not as dark and depressing as the robot-ruined future of The Terminator movies. I would think that a similar world that we recognize today will exist, just with the addition of RAS doing mundane jobs/tasks, but at the expense of those who will lose those jobs to the RAS. This is where we should start looking to educate ourselves and our children to try and find jobs or career paths that are more difficult to be done by a RAS system. As long as we don’t end up like the people in the movie WALL-E, I think we will be ok.

Future Scenario Both I, Robot and Deus Ex Machina have interesting ethical cases that could be a real life problem sooner than we think. In I, Robot, the character Stephen Byerley is accused of being a robot because others think he is too moral and good. If he is a robot, and therefore must follow the Three Laws of Robotics, he will be moral and good, but the Three Laws are just what good people would do anyway, so following them does

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HW6case, Q2

Q2 (33 pts.). Explain the case and discuss, one at a time, each question you devised about it, plus the 3 standard questions. Post this on your blog.

Answer:

Standard Questions:

Overall answer:

I think a team of programmers would be wise to consider all of these types of ethical thinking when programming new RAS into existence.

How can you apply deontological ethics (rule-based) to this case?

Setting up a rules-based mentality is a very good and important foundation to the setting up of RAS and artificial intelligence. It should run on a set of rules that will help it govern its own actions and operations, but it shouldn’t solely rely on these rules.

How can you apply utilitarian ethics (similar to consequentialist ethics) to this case?

In addition to having the foundations of rules, there should be an algorithm that will calculate the risks and rewards of decisions based on information given, information and evidence from observation, and so on. This can help the RAS make better decisions, and in a much quicker way than a human could possibly do.

How can you apply virtue ethics (character-based) to this case?

This should be the final layer of the RAS or AI. I also feel that this particular level would be the hardest to create and/or fully integrate. This should be taken from a multitude of different perspectives of people from all types of backgrounds, creeds, cultures, religions, etc.

Questions from Q1:

Are there guidelines to help with these ethical concerns?

Yes, it states that engineers should:

Hold paramount the health and safety of others and draw attention to hazards

Ensure their work is lawful and justified

Who might be affected when introducing RAS into the workforce?

States that the introduction of RAS might disproportionately affect the employment of those of lower educational levels/attainment, and those who are otherwise disadvantaged

What is reflective equilibrium?

Reflective equilibrium is the end-point of a deliberative process in which some beliefs, thoughts, and judgements about a particular topic are systematically revised in order to achieve coherence among them

Is there a certified way to address all of these concerns?

All of these ethical principles are not intended to be a cure-all, but to illustrate how ethical principles might affect design and operation, and how they may be used as guidelines to addressed the concerns mentioned

What, if anything, is being done to protect privacy?

There should be a balance between individual rights and those of society as a whole. Here, the rational and defensible position might be to allow law enforcement to inspect data about individuals’ use of AI where there is probable cause.

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“Last Lecture” Discussion Questions

Please discuss the video with your group, if you have one, while filling out this form. You can hand it in at the end of class, or copy paste it to your blog – use the title ‘”Last Lecture” Discussion Questions.’ 

Your name: Frankie Magallanes

1. The video was intended as life advice to whom?

He had a hidden theme of a head-fake, which he not only mentions during the lecture several times, but he also clearly defines as “a way to teach someone something hard by making them think they are learning something else.” His whole lecture ended up being a double head-fake: to his point of the lecture which was how to live your life, and to his intended audience, his children.

2. List the advice items that you/your group can recall below. (Many, but not all, are related to ethics.) For each, note whether you agree or not.

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand - I love this and I might be stealing this as a new life mantra

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted - This is fantastic and a less cliché way to tell people to not be afraid of failure because it’s part of the process

Brick walls are there for a reason; Not to keep you out, but to prove how much you want it and to keep those out who aren’t willing to work as hard as you - This is helping me a lot right now in dealing with my stress. Another phrase I might be adopting.

Get a feedback loop and listen to it; cherish that feedback - Feedback is not criticism, unless you take it that way. Most of the time people who are giving you good feedback are doing it with the intention of you growing from this experience.

Be prepared: “Luck” is where preparation meets opportunity - I hate when people say I got where I am or I have something because I was lucky. This is going to be a perfect way to counter that.

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Notes on Recording of Lecture of 10/28/2020

First, I don’t know anything about this, but I saw the guy come out and I recognized his nametag! I used to work for Disney at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida Also his shirt means he must be an Imagineer! 10 tumors!? “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand” Ooh! I like that! Haha! The push-ups were quite the flex! I was also a teacher, so enabling the dreams of others is high on the to-do list By not accomplishing a dream, he said he got more from that than the from the dreams he did accomplish I can understand how one can learn from experience and failure, but I am interested in how this story goes His coach was riding him, and he was taking it wrong at first “If they are not correcting you when you are making mistakes, then they have quit on you” Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted Head fake learnings Being on a football team Not just about learning how to play Working on a team, training, etc. Now that he is parading the bears that he has won, this has become the most interesting lecture that I have ever seen… Brick walls are there for a reason Not to keep you out They are to prove how much you want it And to keep those out who don’t want it as much Wait long enough and people just might impressed you This speaks to me, especially when I was teaching Good way and a bad way to say “I don’t know…” HE WORKED ON THE VR ALADDIN RIDE!! His idea of “having your cake and eating it too” is reinforcing my drive to become a professor! Not Ctrl+Alt+Delete!!! Oh man… that got weird and quick ETC Artists and technologists working together? That sounds like a dream come true Project-based classes were always my favorite A project-based master’s course would be AWESOME! I loved that charting system to keep the student accountable and make them more self-reflective Back to the head-fake again “Best way to teach someone something is to have them think they are learning something else.” I am going to look into ALICE personally I need to learn Java too

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My Answers for HW4case, Q3

Q3. Write up your case on your blog with the following subheadings:

“The facts of the case.” Here is where you describe the case in your own words.

“Analysis.” Examine the case in terms of the questions.

“My conclusions.” Your conclusions and opinions about the case. Be sure to explain and justify what you write. 3 sentences of average length or more.

“Future environment.” Describe your vision of a future in which technology is more advanced than today, or society has changed in some significant way, such that the ethical issues of the case would be even more important than they are in today’s world. 3 sentences of average length or more.

“Future scenario.” Describe how this ethical case (or an analogous one) would or should play out in the environment of the future, and give your opinions about it. 3 sentences of average length or more.

Answer:

Facts of the case

I am impressed with the level of thoroughness and depth that this code of ethics covers. From the strict definition of terms to the ethical foundations and finally to the actual code of conduct, it covers everything I thought it should, and then some things that I never would have thought. Obviously covering the Trainer-Client relationship and conduct and practices, but even going into covering conflicts of interest and societal responsibilities. 

Analysis

In general, I just wanted to express how impressed I really am about this. The section on Ethical Foundations works perfectly in tandem with the Code of Conduct section. The Ethical Foundations section lays the groundwork and sets the context for what is covered in more detail in the Code of Conduct. This is an interesting way to set up a Code of Ethics, and I think it works very well. Especially in areas that one wouldn’t think of when it comes to personal trainers, like the Societal Responsibilities sections in both the Ethical Foundations and Code of Conduct. 

My Conclusion

Personally, I have dabbled with the idea of becoming a personal trainer. Nothing has really been stopping me from doing this, except the pandemic which has put a hamper on plans in general, but I now have a newfound respect and desire to get certified. I was a teacher and that was a 24/7 job, because people saw and knew me as a teacher in and out of the classroom. I had to be very careful about how society saw me and how I carried myself, especially on my days off. It’s refreshing to see that this Code of Ethics holds personal trainers to a similar standard in giving them societal responsibilities that they have to be accountable for.

Future Environment

Honestly, I think the future is here as far as personal training goes. With the COVID pandemic still keeping a lot of people from going to the gym, I have personally seen a lot of my friends who are personal trainers move a lot of their business to focus on virtual meetings. Personal trainers are shifting their business models to focus on social media outlets like Instagram and Facebook to virtually meetup with clients and check in, while hosting live fitness sessions like Zumba on sites like Twitch, Zoom, and YouTube. Being able to still help people reach their fitness goals whether they are in or out of the gym is the future of this business. 

Future Scenario

One of the problems I can see in the future of this profession is having insurance that is multi-state covering. If online coaching and fitness training is going to continue, trainers should be insured for all states, and countries for that matter, for all of their clients. I don’t think it’s a huge problem, but I can see that being added to the ethics policy in some way down the line.

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My Answers for HW2proj

I have started pre-development on my website that will focus on copyright law v. DJ sampling.

The idea is to use a site-builder to get a layout idea of how I want to hard code my website. I am using WordPress for now and this is what I want it to look like:

https://copyrightlawvdjsampling.wordpress.com/

I went though and got stock pictures from pixabay.com and made sure that all of the media that I am using on the site have licenses that are both “Free for commercial use” and “No attribution required.”

This is a rough draft of the website. I am going to try and duplicated something similar on repl.it in the next couple of days. 

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My Answers to HW1case, Q3

Q3. Write up your case on your blog with the following subheadings:

“The facts of the case.” Here is where you describe the case in your own words.

“Analysis.” Examine the case in terms of the consequentialist and deontological approaches.

“Conclusions.”

“Future environment.” Describe your vision of a future in which technology is more advanced than today, or society has changed in some significant way.

“Future scenario.” Describe how this ethical case (or an analogous one) would or should play out in the environment of the future, and give your opinions about it.

Answer:

The facts of the case: 

In 2014, a Christian rapper that goes by the name Flame (Marcus Gray) claimed that Katy Perry’s song “Dark Horse,” (2013) pulled an eight-note musical phrase (called an ostinato) from his song “Joyful Noise,” (2009). In July of 2019, a nine-member federal jury in Los Angeles unanimously determined that Perry and her co-writers improperly copied Flame’s song and ordered Perry and her producers to pay $2.78 million in damages to Marcus Gray and two of his co-writers. In March of 2020, US District Judge Christina A. Snyder overruled that judgement, saying that the none of the individual elements of the song are protected under copyright law. Gray plans to appeal this ruling. 

Analytics:

I had touched on how this case could be approached using both the consequentialist and deontological approach in my last post, but I will go into more detail here.

Deontological theories are rule-based, and therefore the rules must be upheld. This is a weird case for someone coming at it with this approach because the rules are somewhat up to interpretation. Music is so fluid and varied, but at the same time very limited (there are only so many keys or musical notes one can make that sound pleasant to human ears), that, mathematically, it wouldn’t be uncommon for songs to sound similar while not having anything to do with each other. If two songs were made on opposite sides of the world, with no point of contact between the two artists, and the songs sounded similar, but not exactly the same, who would you call the copyright infringement on? Chords and note progressions are all taught similarly so it is possible that similarities could happen. According to the copyright law protects the musical composition, like the arrangement of notes, chords, rhythms, harmonies and song lyrics, and also protects the actual recording or master of the song. This is where the interpretation lies. Some courts have ruled that rhythms and harmonies are in the public domain, while melody is usually determined to be the original (and thus, protected) part. For someone approaching this case with the deontological approach, more finite and concrete rules must be set up first.

Consequentialist theories would have an easier time with this case. Coming to this case with the idea of “the morally right action is the action that provides or produces the most good,” is an easier pill to swallow but would still take some effort to prove. In this case, you have two parties that have feel they have been wronged: Flame’s song is being copied and Perry’s is making millions of dollars off of his idea, and Perry feels that her integrity as an artist is being put into question from a song that became very popular in 2013. The consequentialist would have to look at both sides, and the consequences of their action as the judge/jury, to see how this would play out for countless cases that will come hereafter with similar situations. I listened to both songs and I do hear some similarities, but not enough to notice if I heard Flame’s song anytime after hearing Katy Perry’s song. I did not know Flame’s song existed until researching this case. I would have to really focus on finding the similarities between the two. The two melodies are not, in my opinion, interchangeable.

The jury ruled in favor of Flame, saying that the song’s main background melody sounded too similar to Katy Perry’s song. The judge overruled that decision months later and ruled in favor of Katy Perry. Both saw different consequences to their verdicts.

Conclusions:

The easier way to manage this case is though the lens of the consequentialist. That being said, it is still not an easy case to decide on either. 

With the jury’s verdict, any artist could claim copyright on popular music saying that a slight chord progression or partial melody could have been copied from their music. This becomes a slippery slope and would hinder artists from creating new music in fear of copyright infringement.

I agree more with the judge’s verdict in favor of Perry. She ruled that the small details of the song were not protected with copyright and therefore are public domain. Yes, there are similarities, and maybe Perry or one of her co-writers or producers might have even been inspired, consciously or not, by Flame’s song three years later, but that could fall under what is called a sample, if anything. 

Future environment:

Mark Ronson, a famous DJ and music producer (he wrote “Uptown Funk” which also had a similar case against it), said in a TED Talk, “In music, we take something that we love and build on it.” In that TED Talk, he talks about a specific song that has been sampled over 500 times. He says that he, like many other artists, “hear something that I love ... and I can co-opt it. Insert myself in that narrative...” A lot of the time, even though artists may not even be doing it on purpose, they are inspired by the music they grew up listening to and want to be a part of that story, that legacy. 

We live in an era of digital music, where new artists have access to almost any song ever written. This level of accessibility can provide artists with countless means of inspiration for their own work. With the jury’s verdict, that level of creativity is dead on site. Ronson ended with this, “When we really add something significant and original, and we merge our musical journey with this, then we have a change to be part of the evolution of the music that we love.”

Future scenario:

I cannot personally think of a way to determine whether or not a song is breaking copyright infringement more than people can already, unless you go the super dark route like in The Minority Report. If a computer could tell the intent of the artist before they make their music and whether or not it is by inspiration or just straight up copying another piece of music, but that is a little too much. I think this is definitely a generational mentality thing that will die out over time with more and more people getting used to sampling being a part of the musical landscape. I think that copyright will still be important, but ruling will be more fair to all parties involved.

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My Answers to HW1case, Q2

Q2. Online students: Explain the case and discuss, one at a time, each question you devised about it, plus the 3 standard questions. Post this on your blog.

Answer:

1. If “basic building blocks of music” cannot be copyrighted, at what point can a song be protected by copyright?

- According to my research, a single piece of recorded music involves two distinct rights:

-- Protection of the underlying musical composition, aka the specific arrangement and combination of musical notes, chords, rhythms, harmonies, and song lyrics, which is referred to as “musical work,” “musical composition,” or sometimes “song”

-- Protection of the actual recording of a musical composition, which copyright law refers to as “sound recording,” or sometimes the “master” or the “recording”

2. Can music (composed noise) be copyrighted at all, or just lyrics?

- Musical copyright, whether as a musical work or sound recording, is created immediately upon creation and satisfaction of the following:

-- Must be an original work of authorship; and

-- Must be fixed in any tangible medium of expression, such as written sheet music, a MIDI file, or a digital (or analog) recording

3. What is the difference between sampling, being inspired by, and straight up copying music when creating new music?

- While copyright protects come when a new song is recorded, the new song must be original. Original in the sense of the work must be a product of the author’s own efforts, but there is no requirement of originality in the sense of being novel. Original only means that the work was created independently and possesses at least some level of creativity.

There are no hard “line in the sand” rules. Some courts have held that rhythms and harmonies are generally in the public domain (free for anyone to use), while melody is often determined to be the “original” and protected parts. There are a lot of details about sound processing, blending, balancing, and others as well as a lot of court cases dealing with this issue.

Resource (https://bit.ly/2Fav9Q9)

4. How can you apply deontological ethics (rule-based) to this case?

- Deontological ethics talk about the moral theories (rules) that guide and assess choices of what a person should do, and in that sense, it could be said that any type of musical copying, whether that be in melody, lyric, rhythm, or harmonies, should be bad. But since the law only states a general description of what is right and wrong when it comes to copyright, then that puts the judgement into the perspective of the judge or jury and can be changed by their personal morals or ethics.

- After reading some more about the deontological theories (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/) I see that there are some types that might apply directly to a case like this. Patient-centered deontological theory are characterized as theories focusing on people’s rights, and in my case’s point, the artists. It says “it is a right against being used by another for the user’s or other’s benefit... the using of another’s body, labor, and talent without the latter’s consent.” I think this fits perfectly with this case.

5. How can you apply utilitarian ethics (similar to consequentialist ethics) to this case?

- By reading another article by the same source (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/) I found that utilitarianism ethics are stated as holding to the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good. It mentions consequentialist ethics (like in the question) where the choice is based on the best consequences of said choice. In my case, protecting the artist’s work could be very beneficial to the artist and his production team, but would also keep new works that are not even loosely based at all by his work to be halted and therefore kept from the public to enjoy. In that view, the most beneficial set of consequences might be for the happiness and enjoyment of the broader public, rather than the smaller group of the artist and his/her production team.

6. How can you apply virtue ethics (character-based) to this case?

- Virtue ethics is exactly based on that, virtues, or the behavior showing high moral standards. “A virtue ethicist to the fact that helping (a) person would be charitable or benevolent.” (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/) This one is harder to use in this case, but is easier to prove that it happened. By the judge overriding the verdict of the jury, he felt that this judgement was more benevolent than what the jury found, in his opinion. This ethics approach could be easily proven, but would be hard to win over people with, as opposed to the other two theories where rules or consequences are presented as evidence of “this is why we should do this thing” or “believe this way.”

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My Answers to HW1case, Q1

Q1. Prepare case notes on an ethics case related to intellectual property. Online students will post their notes to their blog. Your notes should include the following.

A link or other citation to the case you are using; if it is from personal experience, point that out.

A list of 5 or more important facts about the case. These could help you tell your group members or anyone or remind yourself what the case is all about.

A list of questions (3 or more) that you could consider yourself or ask someone else about (for online students); see the “Questions to ask during discussion” tab on the course web page for some suggestions in developing your discussion questions.

Answer: The source of my case is https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/arts/music/katy-perry-dark-horse.html#:~:text=A%20federal%20judge%20tossed%20a,from%20one%20of%20his%20songs.

Five important facts:

1. In July of 2019, a federal jury found Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” song had infringed on the copyright of a Christian rap song and ordered Perry’s team to pay $2.8 million in damages

2. In March of 2020, the judge in that case vacated the jury’s decision, meaning that Perry and her team are not liable for infringement, and therefore do not have to pay damages

3. Suit was filed in 2014 by the artist Flame (Marcus Gray) because he thought that Perry’s hit (2013) borrowed a simple eight-note pattern (aka ostinato) from his song “Joyful Noise”

4. Perry’s lawyers argued that such a basic sequence of notes could not be protected by copyright saying that Flame was “trying to own the basic building blocks of music”

5. Judge’s ruling came shortly after another case decision by a panel of judges in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, involving a copyright case of Led Zeppelin’s song “Stairway to Heaven,” where questions about whether simple musical elements or patterns could be copyrighted

Three questions to ask about the case are:

1. If “basic building blocks of music” cannot be copyrighted, at what point can a song be protected by copyright?

2. Can music (composed noise) be copyrighted at all, or just lyrics?

3. What is the difference between sampling, being inspired by, and straight up copying music when creating new music?

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Notes on Lecture of 09/02/2020 from a Recording

Three main ethical theories

“How to be ethical?”

- Virtue Ethics

-- Classic view

--- basically to have good character

---- view of Socrates, Confucius, Hume

--- possible problem: What does it mean to be “good” because I think it could have different meaning for everybody

-- to be ethical:

--- develop good character

--- develop virtuous character traits

-- problem:

--- this is a “I know it when I see it” approach

--- doesn’t explain practical ethics very well

---- replaces the question “What is ethics?” with “What is good character?”

----- Good character qualities from class discussion: empathy, kindness, doing what’s right, honesty, integrity, respect, loyalty

-- how and why does this make someone ethical?

--- does an ethical person get there by:

1.  Following the right rules (deontological ethics)?

or

2. Getting positive results (utilitarianism)?

- Utilitarian v. Deontological Ethics

- Two core approaches to ethics

-- Does the result determine if something is ethical?

--- Utilitarianism: it does

---- if something has good results and use, then it is ethical

---- utility means usefulness

--- Deontologism: it doesn’t

---- from Gr. deon = duty + logos = study

--Does what you do determine if something is ethical?

--- Utilitarianism: it doesn’t

--- Deontologoism: it does

Scenarios:

- Giving a homeless person money for food

-- they get alcohol

--- Were you ethical?

---- U: no, because they didn’t use the money usefully

---- D: yes, because you did what seems to you to be a nice thing

---- V: yes, because you did the “right thing” by helping another

-- they get food

--- Were you ethical?

---- U: Yes, because the person used your money to help their problem

---- D: Yes, same as above

---- V: Yes, same as above

- You refuse and tell him to get a job

-- he takes your advice

--- Were you ethical?

---- U: yes, because he is now becoming more useful to society

---- D: no, because you are being rude

---- V: yes, but its really grey because you could have helped still

-- he gets sick from lack of food

--- Were you ethical?

---- U: no, because now they are sick

---- D: no, same

---- V: no, same

- “The ends justify the means...”

-- Do they?

--- U: yes

--- D: no

--- V: maybe?

- “a war to end all wars...”

-- ethical?

--- U: yes

--- D: no

--- V: maybe?

- Kant’s “categorical imperative”:

-- Treat people (including yourself) not just as means to an end, but also as ends in themselves

--- Other words: respect people for being people, not just tools

--- various other approximations, notably the Golden Rule

** Passed out some sort of handout covering different religions’ view or rewording of Kant’s categorical imperative**

- Examples:

-- Out of control train on tracks and you are at the switch, if you pull the switch the train will hit one person, but if you don’t it will hit five people. What do you do?

--- Do you pull the switch?

---- I would pull the switch, taking the responsibility of killing the one person, but will feel better about saving the other five

----- Utilitarian answer (huh, didn’t know I agreed with this theory at all)

-- As a doctor, could you kill one patient to help 5 others?

--- This one is different because of the details of losing a doctor’s licence, etc. 

-- Outdoor ethics

--- This is your park. Removing, defacing, or destroying plants, fossils, animals, or rocks is harmful to everyone and illegal.

---- Good statement that pretty much hits all the different ethical theories

There’s a board game that I have been playing for about a year now called Trial by Trolley that really puts that first example to the extreme test. 

http://playingcards.io/game/trial-by-trolley

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HW1proj

Q1. List several possibilities you are considering for a project topic. (If you already have decided on a topic, then explain what options and possibilities you see related to that topic.) There should be some connection to the course, but mostly it is up to you – you should seek a topic that you would find interesting to dig into. Length requirement: at least 10 sentences or bullet points. Put your answer in your blog, noting that it is the answer to question #1 of HW1proj, so we can easily find it.

Answer:

Copyright laws with music

Want to look into things like the Vanilla Ice case in particular to determine the difference between stealing copyright protected music and “sampling” copyright protected music

Detail the difference between sampling music and being inspired by copyright protected music (Bruno Mars v. Collage, for “Uptown Funk)

How much of a song do you have to change to avoid copyright laws?

Discuss the benefits of sampling, from a DJ’s perspective

Discuss how DJs can use copyright protected music and get paid for it

Sampling from movies or tv shows legal?

The new “boom” in copyright lawsuits in the music industry and it’s effect on new artists

What exactly is “fair use”?

The Katy Perry Verdict and it’s potential effects

Q2. List the possibilities you are considering for project format, the pluses and minuses of each, and your preferences and opinions. Also discuss the question of individual vs. group project. Length requirement: at least 10 sentences or bullet points. Put your answer in your blog, noting that it is the answer to question #2 of HW1proj, so we can easily find it.

Answer:

I am not against the idea of working on this as a group or with a partner, but for now I am working solo

If someone does want to work together, I’d rather they have some musical background, say in performance, as I am bringing my DJ experience to this project

I wanted to create a website for this project

It could host videos of the songs that I refer to so that a visitor can listen for themselves 

A website is ideal for this because of the opportunity to host multimedia aspects that could help my project

Pictures, music, and even links to full case files (for those looking to get more information) can all be used

Possible downside, could be breaking copyright by posting the music that I am talking about (kinda breaks and makes the point...)

Another possible downside, I wanted to create the project from scratch, and that might put extra pressure or unneeded stress on myself and possible partners

Possible upside, I would get some much needed practice on my HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming and might have something to show off if I really like it

I could easily have separate web pages that can navigate though my entire project, highlighting all my project points

Q3. (a) Go the the “Course Information” tab on the course web site. Read about the course, especially the parts about the project. Note on your blog any questions you have, or note that you don’t have any questions. (b) Then go to the “Syllabus” tab on the course web site.  Read over it. Note on your blog any questions you have, or note that you don’t have any questions.

Answer:

(a) My only questions are about the “length” of the project. If a PowerPoint presentation should last about 50 mins, but a musical performance can be about 5 minutes (I do understand how much more “pre-work” goes into that), how “big” should my website be? I know we are in super early stages, but if I show you my progress or plans as we go along this semester, will you be able to tell me if I am not doing enough or if I am doing too much?

(b) No questions.

Q4. Email the instructor your blog address (jdberleant@ualr.edu) if you didn’t already make your blog and give the instructor its URL in class .

Answer: I did it.

[digidaddy]

Notes on Lecture of 08/31/2020

(Reposted from yesterday, but in the correct format now)

- Discussion about HW1 Project

-- Brainstorming about a topic and listing possibilities and formatting

- Plagiarism and copyright

-- Johan Lehrer

--- Was an appealing science writer, but then started making stuff up like some Bob Dylan quotes, still writes today in the form of a blog

--- "If you're going to make up quotes, pick someone people don't care about..."

-- Kaavya Viswanathan

--- Wanted to go to Harvard, wrote a book but pulled stuff from other YA authors and was caught, but after she had already got accepted to Harvard and sold her book to a publisher (you can still buy the book as an uncorrected proof)

--- Graduated from law school and her parents died on the way to her graduation in a plane crash

--- She is now an immigrant lawyer in NY

-- Stephen Glass

--- Went to Harvard Law School (same as Kaavya), was working for a commentary magazine and was making up the articles he wrote about

--- Was caught and fired, and someone made a movie about him

-- Clifford Irving

--- Wrote a biography about Howard Hughes and claimed that it was authorized, but it was not.

-- Fareed Zakaria

--- Political commentator for a news outlet CNN and Time, plagiarized dozens of times and stole people's work, claiming it as his own, was suspended from Time and CNN

--- Currently, he writes a foreign affairs column for The Post, is the host of a CNN show, and a contributing editor for the Atlantic

-- Vanilla Ice

--- (brought up by student in class) where he copied the music from David Bowie and Queen

-- CBS News site

--- CBS news site plagiarized a press release from a university (noticed by professor)

--- Wasn't a copyright violation, but was still plagiarism

- What is the problem with plagiarism?

-- Who cares?

--- The original author might care

- Copyright and Plagiarism Differ

-- Copyright is a legal concept and plagiarism is not a legal concept

--- Plagiarism is a proposed ethics rule, but there is no law against it

-- Purpose of copyright

--- Encourage people to create IP (intellectual property)

--- Maximize the IP's value to society

- Encourage People to Create IP

-- first copyright law was in England in 1709 (Statute of Anne, passed in 1710)

--- Gave authors rights to their books for 14 years, which they could renew for another term, but then became public domain after that, becoming unprotected and generally public property

--- Currently, copyright is valid for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years

- Comments

-- Balance between the author and the public rights

--- protect the author to encourage the creation of IP

--- protect public right to reuse as to encourage use

[digidaddy]

Notes on Lecture of 08/31/2020

- Discussion about HW1 Project

-- Brainstorming about a topic and listing possibilities and formatting

- Plagiarism and copyright

-- Johan Lehrer

--- Was an appealing science writer, but then started making stuff up like some Bob Dylan quotes, still writes today in the form of a blog

--- "If you're going to make up quotes, pick someone people don't care about..."

-- Kaavya Viswanathan

--- Wanted to go to Harvard, wrote a book but pulled stuff from other YA authors and was caught, but after she had already got accepted to Harvard and sold her book to a publisher (you can still buy the book as an uncorrected proof)

--- Graduated from law school and her parents died on the way to her graduation in a plane crash

--- She is now an immigrant lawyer in NY

-- Stephen Glass

--- Went to Harvard Law School (same as Kaavya), was working for a commentary magazine and was making up the articles he wrote about

--- Was caught and fired, and someone made a movie about him

-- Clifford Irving

--- Wrote a biography about Howard Hughes and claimed that it was authorized, but it was not.

-- Fareed Zakaria

--- Political commentator for a news outlet CNN and Time, plagiarized dozens of times and stole people's work, claiming it as his own, was suspended from Time and CNN

--- Currently, he writes a foreign affiairs column for The Post, is the host of a CNN show, and a contributing editor for the Atlantic

-- Vanilla Ice

--- (brought up by student in class) where he copied the music from David Bowie and Queen

-- CBS News site

--- CBS news site plagiarized a press release from a university (noticed by professor)

--- Wasn't a copyright violation, but was still plagiarism

- What is the problem with plagiarism?

-- Who cares?

--- The original author might care

- Copyright and Plagiarism Differ

-- Copyright is a legal concept and plagiarism is not a legal concept

--- Plagarism is a proposed ethics rule, but there is no law against it

-- Purpose of copyright

--- Encourage people to create IP (intellectual property)

--- Maximize the IP's value to society

- Encourage People to Create IP

-- first copyright law was in England in 1709 (Statute of Anne, passed in 1710)

--- Gave authors rights to their books for 14 years, which they could renew for another term, but then became public domain after that, becoming unprotected and generally public property

--- Currently, copyright is valid for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years

- Comments

-- Balance between the author and the public rights

--- protect the author to encourage the creation of IP

--- protect public right to reuse as to encourage use