Intellectual Property Discussion in the Classroom?

Nick M asks: "I'm a TA for a Computer Ethics course at Lehigh University. My professor is currently in China, and I'm charged with the task of teaching the chapter on Intellectual Property. I have read the book (Cyberethics, Spinello, 3rd Ed.), and can see that this could be the most boring 75 minutes of their lives. What topics, examples and questions do you think would stimulate a heated discussion on intellectual property rights which would display the complexities of both sides of the issue?"

Comments

First thing to remember

[UbuntuDupe]

Make sure none of the students is able to carry out any of the classroom handouts unless each page is clearly marked with a copyright warning on both sides.

Re:First thing to remember

[SydShamino]

Don't forget signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). The longest one I ever signed was 16 pages for IBM.

Dude, did you not read page 15, paragraph 5, sub-bullet A(1):
You shall not disclose the length of this Non-Disclosure Agreement to any third party.

You are SO gonna get sued!

A favour to ask

[CaseyB]

Sorry, I don't have any great ideas on what to put in an intellectual property lecture.

But would you be able to ask your professor to bring back bootleg copies of X-Men 3 and Microsoft Office for me? Thanks!

Re:complexities on both sides?

[scum-e-bag]

I was going to hold back and use some mod point in this thread until I read that dribble...

Drug companies have no incentive to create cures. Plain and simple. If they were to create drugs that eliminated disease, then they would be putting themselves out of business.

I'm sure you find this post 'worthless' and 'flamebait' because it doesnt justify you illegally copying music. I guess it doesnt matter if we dont get new pharmaceutical research, as long as your ipod hard disk is full huh?

Yes, I do consider it flaimbait; and I am taking it, hook, line and sinker. IP only encourages pharmaceutical research to create long term revenue streams... no cure for AIDS (or any other terminal disease) The only thing created is a pill that the victim of disease must continue to take for the rest of their life... hence... long term revenue stream. This is not humane, it is inhumane.