IT1707

Legal Issues
The following are the legal issues that arise from using computers and the Internet:
 Intellectual Property (IP) – also called intellectual property rights (IPR), is a legal term that grants people the exclusive
rights to the ownership of content that they have created. IPR can be applied to certain aspects of computing and the
Internet. For example, suppose you design a Web page or produce some written material for a website. Depending on
the nature of the material, you may have the exclusive rights to use it because you created it. Intellectual property
provides protection for the owner of the material. IP may apply for a patent, copyright, trademark, and etc.

 Copyright Laws – copyright is a subset of intellectual property but differs in interpretation and use. Copyright is a legal
protection that usually gives the creator of a work exclusive rights to its use and distribution for a limited time period.
When something is copyrighted, the symbol © along with the copyright owner’s name and sometimes with the year.

 Digital Rights Management (DRM) – involves the use of technology to control access to copyrighted material. It is a
practical attempt to address the growing problem of the unauthorized copying and distribution of material. The
practice of distributing digital content over the Internet via file-sharing networks has made the enforcement of
traditional copyright laws difficult. DRM helps to prevent illegal downloads by requiring access verification to protected
material. To access DRM-protected material, the user needs a username and password, which are stored in a database.
DRM also helps to prevent already downloaded files from being widely shared with others. For example, iTunes
downloads can be burned to an audio CD a limited number of times, can be placed only on portable devices that are
registered to the signed-in user, and will not play if manually copied to another computer. Some software vendors use
DRM to allow document authors to protect content created with the software. Access to a document may be restricted
by requiring anyone who opens the file to log into a DRM server online.

 Software Licensing – when you install an operating system or software program, one (1) of the first stages of the
process is to agree to its terms and conditions. These terms and conditions are presented in a legal document called
an End User License Agreement (EULA), the end user is the one (1) who used the program. The EULA defines what you
as a user can and cannot do with the product you are about to install. End users will not be able to proceed to the next
stage of the install until they accept the agreement. Reading the agreement will let the end users know what they can
and cannot legally do with the software. For most vendors, licensing is a way of ensuring that they collect revenue for
the products they offer. Vendors also use licensing to ensure that if people use the software to break any laws, it is the
user who is at fault, not the vendor. Some products require the end users not only to agree to the terms and conditions
but also to enter a license code or key to activate the product. This requires online activation. Online activation adds
the license key to a database of active licenses, maintained by the software vendor. This prevents someone from using
the same code again to license the software more than once, thus breaking the terms of the single user license.

Types of Software Licensing

Software may be released either as proprietary software or as open-source software:
o Proprietary software is software you can use but do not own. The vendor retains ownership and you simply
have the right to use one (1) or more copies of software after purchasing it and agreeing to the EULA. The
source code used in this type of software is kept private. That is, users are not permitted to access and/or
change the code.
o Open-source software is software that is not only free to use but also its source code is accessible to users to
modify and redistribute. It’s free because the open-source movement is all about promoting freedom and
removing licensing restrictions. The theory is that by allowing the free distribution of software that can be
enhanced by others, the computer world benefits from having consistently improved products.
Although open-source software is about removing licensing restrictions, many types of open-source software do carry
a license, called the General Public License (GPL). The GPL is developed by an organization called the Free Software
Foundation, that exists to support the creation and distribution of free software that is simply worded license that
enables individuals and companies to legally copy and modify software. This gives users much greater freedom with
the product.
 Software Piracy – is the unauthorized copying of software programs. There are various types of software piracy:
o Counterfeit software – is a copy of a legitimate product that is made and marketed as an original. With
counterfeit software, the media and packaging may look genuine, but only because the software has been
copied and packaged to look like the original.
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o Corporate Piracy – often, a company or organization will purchase software in a legitimate way, but install the
software on more machines that it is supposed to. For example, a company might buy software with 50 licenses
but install it on 100 computers. This practice, which can save corporations money is called corporate piracy.
o Unbundling packages – when a user purchases a computer, it frequently comes as an original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) bundle. For example, the operating system comes pre-loaded on the computer and is
licensed to that particular computer. If the bundle comes with a backup copy of the operating system on DVD
and the owner sells that copy to someone else, this breaks the terms of the license and is a form of piracy.
o Internet piracy – there are many Internet sites where copyrighted software can be illegally downloaded free
or a low cost. These sites even give users guidance on where to obtain the license key information necessary
to use the program, or produce fake keys themselves. This is Internet piracy. Sites that offer these illegal
activities sometimes contain malware that can infect the user’s computer when he downloads from them.
Ethical Issues
The following are the different ethical issues in computing with regard to the Internet and Web:
 Plagiarism – is the practice of copying someone else’s work and pretending that it is your own. The Internet and Web is
used to download documents from an unknown website and submit or republish it as yours. Plagiarism has several
forms:
o Copying work produced by someone else word for word and presenting it as your own.
o Inserting portions of someone else’s work into your own and claiming full credit.
o Changing a few words and phrases of a piece of work so it looks different but is based on someone else’s work.
o Taking material from multiple sources and putting it all together as your own work.
Plagiarism has become a problem in colleges and universities. For example, when students receive assignments, they
simply research on the Internet, copy large blocks of text from various sources, stitch them together into a single
document, and pass the result off as their own work. The following are some ways to avoid plagiarism:
o Using citations – when copying someone else’s work provided that you include a reference to the source, that
is, to the author and name of a published or unpublished work following a quotation from the said source. This
is called citation. Including citation to give credit to the original author of a piece of work is the only way to
avoid plagiarism.
o Paraphrasing – in addition to quoting an author directly, you can paraphrase what he or she writes. When you
paraphrase, you use different words to convey the same idea, but you must still include a citation to
acknowledge that the original idea came from someone else.
There are several anti-plagiarism software products that are used to compare a submitted document against a large
database of quotes and texts. Mathematical processes check not only for actual word-for-word plagiarism but also for
paraphrased text where it can identify the original source. Using these programs, it takes only a few seconds to examine
a document. Some educational institutions are this type of software as standard practice for all work handed by
students.

 Censorship and Filtering – Censorship is the act of preventing something from being printed or heard. Individuals or
companies apply forms of censorship by not allowing certain types of information to be published. For example, if you
post a negative review of a product on the manufacturer’s website, your view may be deleted, this is an example of
corporate censorship.
Filtering is a form of censorship performed by software. Filtering means to prevent something from getting through. For
example, when you filter the Internet, you exclude certain categories of content from general access. For example, a
parent might install Web filtering software on a child’s computer to prevent the child from accessing websites with
graphic violent content. Companies also may filter their employee’s web usage at work, such as blocking social
networking sites to improve productivity.

 Flaming – when the Internet and Web users interact in a hostile way with each other, this is an act of abusing called
flaming. For example, in YouTube website, which gives users the option to post comments and some of the comments
become negative and personal, complete with insults and swear words. When the negativity escalates as more
comments are posted, it is known as a flame war.

 Libel and Slander – Libel is the act of putting a false and offensive statement in writing. Any false statement that could
damage the reputation of an individual or organization could be considered to be libel.

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Slander is the verbal version of libel. Slander might consist of negative comments about an individual or group that are
made as part of a phone or face-to-face conversation. In the digital world, it may include slanderous comments made
on an online-published video or in a group video conference. Libel and slander are similar in that both are statements
that can cause damage to someone’s reputation.

 Spamming – Spams are unsolicited or junk e-mails, typically containing offers for products. These e-mails are sent in
bulk to e-mail users at a time. Almost all e-mail programs include a junk e-mail filter, but many of these emails still slip
through to fill users’ inboxes. As a result, users waste valuable time reading and deleting unwanted messages. You can
unsubscribe from such e-mails with the Unsubscribe link provided in the e-mail. However, be careful of using the
Unsubscribe link. Sometimes spammers use the Unsubscribe link to confirm that their message has reached an active
e-mail address and they might send more spams.
Health Issues
Combating Eyestrain
When a person uses a computer, his eyes focus at a fixed distance on a small area of the screen for a considerable period of
time. As a result, many computer users end up with eyestrain, which can lead to blurring or headaches. The following are
some tips for combating eyestrain:
 Have regular eye examinations. If you have corrective eyewear, use it while working on the computer.
 Position your computer monitor such that it is 20 to 40 inches from your face, with your eyes just above the center
of the screen.
 Use incandescent rather than fluorescent lighting in your work area, because fluorescent lighting tends to flicker
more. If you cannot avoid fluorescent lighting, avoid working directly underneath the light fixture if possible.
 Position your monitor so that bright light does not shine directly on it, to reduce glare.
 Take frequent breaks. Avoid sitting in front of your monitor for more than an hour at a time.
 When you take a break, exercise your eyes. That is, look at items a different distance so your eyes get used to
focusing normally again. Another way to exercise your eyes is to follow the 20/20/20 rule. That is, every 20 minutes,
look away from the screen at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This prevents the eye muscles from being in
the same position for too long.

Easing Your Back and Upper Limbs

Many computer users suffer from back problems because they fail to care for their back while they work. Computer users
are also subject to sore fingers, aching shoulders, tired arms, and injured elbows. The following are ways to prevent these:
 Using Good Posture
Posture refers to how we sit or stand. When using a computer, it’s critical that you use good posture. Otherwise,
you put too much strain on your body. A good posture is one (1) in which the body’s position can be maintained
with minimal physical effort. Your body should be relaxed. This allows you to maintain your position for longer,
without putting a strain on the body. The following are some ways for a good posture:
o The lower back is supported by the shape of the chair.
o The head is up and level.
o The upper arms are relaxed.
o The forearms are at a right angle with the upper arms.
o The wrists are in a straight line with the hands and forearms.
o The knees are level with the hips and the thighs are horizontal.
o The feet are flat on the floor or resting on a platform.

 Positioning Your Desk and Chair

Desk and chair height can make a big difference in your body’s comfort. Adjust the desk and chair height so that
when you sit up straight at the desk, your thighs are parallel to the floor and both feet are flat on the floor. Adjust
the keyboard and mouse heights so that your forearms are parallel to the floor when you are using them. In order
to achieve this, install a keyboard tray below the desk’s main surface.

 Ergonomic Input Devices

Even with the proper vertical positioning of keyboard and mouse, computer users may still experience some strain
whey they use them for a long time. One (1) way to further protect the hands and wrists is to use ergonomically
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designed input devices. These special keyboards, mice, and trackballs are designed to reduce the strain placed on
your body when you use them.
Environmental Issues
To avoid damaging the environment, it is imperative to dispose of the old computers properly. Dumping a computer in a
landfill could cause heavy metals and poisons such as arsenic from the components to enter the area’s water supply, putting
the population at risk. Similarly, burning a computer could release elements such as mercury and cadmium into the
atmosphere, which could be harmful to those nearby.
Many countries now have regulations that govern the disposal process. In some cases, these regulations require computer
retailers and manufacturers to contribute toward having the computer recycled. This makes the disposal process much safer
and easier.
Rather than disposing of an old computer, consider harvesting the components and using them elsewhere. The following
are some ideas of how to use the components of an old computer:
 Hard drive – consider reusing the hard drive in another computer, as an additional drive for yourself or someone
else. You may also keep it as a spare. If your option is to give the drive away, be sure to wipe your data first. There
are several programs used to permanently remove the files from a hard drive, such as Active@KillDisk for Windows.
 Memory – if the RAM is still usable and of a suitable capacity and speed, you could use it on another computer.
 Keyboard and mouse – these are pretty universal and could be used with any computer. It’s always worth keeping
old keyboards and mice as spares.
 Display – if the monitor is a flat-screen monitor, you may be able to use it with another computer. Alternatively, you
could use it as a second monitor on your primary computer, running dual displays.
 Removable components – a desktop computer may contain removable components such as display adapter, sound
card, or network interface card that could be saved for use in another computer.
Before you dispose of your old computer, consider whether there is an alternative, environmentally friendly way of dealing
with it. Especially if the computer still has some life left in it. Here are some ideas:
 Sell it – if there’s nothing wrong with the computer, you can sell it online.
 Give it away – you can give it to some deserving person or organization.
 Assign it a new role – even if your old computer is a bit slow running newer versions of Windows, it’s probably fast
enough to run an alternative operating system, such as Linux. Try installing such an operating system on your old
computer if you want an extra computer.

REFERENCES:
O’Leary, T., O’Leary L., and O’Leary D. (2017). Computing essentials 2017. USA: McGraw-Hill Education.
Wempen, F. (2014). Computing fundamentals digital literacy edition. United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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