Ownership

As I’m sitting in different sessions today at METC 2009, the issue of re-thinking ownership/copyright emerges often.

Why is this such an issue? Are the copyright cops everywhere, or are kids just being raised without regard for other people’s property?

I think it’s neither.

I think digital kids live in a collaborative environment. They are used to sharing their ideas. That’s status quo for them.

  • Look at their online creations. If they think of something they consider interesting and unique, they share it with the world. If they want to rant about something, they share that rant with the world. When they write their own music, stories, pictures… you name it. They SHARE.
  • Watch them play a game online. When they get stuck on a particular level, they hit the web to find a network who will share hints or solutions with them.

Most non-digital people want to keep their ideas to themselves, and will only distribute them to others when PAID for their ideas.

Don’t get me wrong… there are some instances in life when you should be paid for your ideas… AND kids need to learn about boundaries. But think about the learning, the creativity, the innovation that could be available to EVERYONE if we were all more willing to share.

Not convinced? Go do a search for “open source.

What will the open source concept mean for other industries?

And what will digital kids want in their lifetime?

What are your thoughts?

2 thoughts on “Ownership

  1. These comments shed some light on the topic for me – I think the world will be a better place for all of us when a generation that collaborates and shares begins to take over in the areas of politics and business. More transparency could be the result and less selfishness.

  2. I do think the fact that it is so easy to mash things together, kids need to be reminded that, while they do create that final product, the “ingredients” of that product were not originally produced by themselves. I don’t mean by creating a long list of citations, but simply making sure everyone knows where the pieces came from.

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