Privacy and Copyright Laws - What to do to Protect Yourself

Lately, it seems that the internet has become somewhat indispensable to us. We rely on it for many things, from communication via email, to online banking, to even earning a degree without having to step foot in a classroom! While all these advantages are great, and a huge time saver, too, there are a few negatives to the internet, namely the lack of privacy.

When we conduct business on the internet, be it online banking or purchasing, we add personal information before the transactions can be submitted. We assume that this personal information will remain private, and for the most part it does. But that is not always the case. Personal information, such as our names, addresses, credit card information, etc, can be assessed by other people who either use this information for their own benefit, or even sell this to a third party. There are a few ways to protect this sensitive information. Below, you will find a video with helpful tips:

Then there's copyright. Something that we must keep in mind when using the internet to retrieve information is to follow the guidelines for copyright. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, copyright is "the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work)". Because there is so much information available online, one may be tempted to utilize such information when writing an essay, for example, and not cite where needed. In doing this, one is committing fraud and plagiarism; in a nutshell, it is stealing. There are quite a few repercussions when one violates copyright laws, aka commits plagiarism. First of all, one's  integrity comes to play. It is important to be honest when writing and using someone's work. Secondly, if the essay or research paper is an assignment for school, the student will be caught, and according to their rules, may be suspended or expelled from the institution. Thirdly, copyright laws are actually federal laws; it is not a minor infraction. We don't want to mess with the federal government, right?

Even though I live in Puerto Rico, and both my privacy and copyright is protected by federal laws, there are some laws and regulations in Puerto Rico that protect us:

http://www.lexjuris.com/LEXLEX/lexprint.htm (Ley de Propiedad Intelectual de Puerto Rico)
http://www.lexjuris.com/LEXLEX/lexpireg.htm (Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual de PR)
http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/leyes2006/lexl2006148.htm (Ley de Transacciones Electronicas de 2006)
http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/leyes2004/lexl204359.htm (Ley de Firmas Electronicas de Puerto Rico)


For more information on copyright and privacy laws and regulations that stand in Puerto Rico, please visit: http://www.lexjuris.com. 

References:
Merriam-webster.com, (2013). Copyright. Retrieved July 12, 2013 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copyright
Gunelius, S. (n.d.). Top 3 Blogging Rules. Retrieved July 12, 2013 from http://weblogs.about.com/od/bloggingethics/tp/Top3BloggingRules.htm
Copyright.gov, (2012). Copyright Basics. Retrieved July 12, 2013 from http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf