The document discusses several legal and ethical considerations for media producers, including copyright, authorship, libel, and privacy. Copyright law protects original creative works and gives ownership rights to creators. The Copyright Act of 1988 has two main purposes: to reward creators for their work and protect copyright holders if others try to steal their work. Authorship refers to the person who originates or creates a work in a tangible form like writing, music, or art. Libel is the publication of a false statement that damages a person's reputation, and individuals can be defamed through false or inaccurate accusations. Ethical considerations for media producers include limitations around representing violence, sex, or strong language as well as issues around product placement, privacy, and

1. Legal and Ethical considerations
Nicole Taylor

2. Copyright
There was a law made called ‘The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act ‘ in 1988. The Copyright Act
was created to protect the investment of time, money and effort by the people who create new
and unique pieces of original work.
The Copyright Act has two main purposes 1.To ensure people are rewarded for their work, 2.To
give protection to the copyright holder if someone tries to steal their work.
Copyright Advantages for media producers are that if they have created and own a piece of
production they can call it there own and have pride in and it is protected against being stolen
and someone taking it to claim as there own.
Copyright disadvantages for media producers are if you find a piece of production you like, it
would have been copyrighted or even if not you need to contact that person and ask permission
to use it, if its done by a professional and your a professional in the industry you might have to
pay to use it too, it depends on the person/company who own the production. Or if you don’t ask
permission for someone’s audio or video footage or photograph then you can be sued if they find
out.
The concept of copyright is tied with intellectual property and it ensures that creators of original
work (writing, music, art) are guaranteed ownership of their work. Any creator is guaranteed
automatic copyright over that specific work, however a certificate of registration is what secures
the creator's rights particularly if legal matters arise. Creators can gain a certificate of registration
by applying to Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Authorship
The person(s) who originates or gives existence to a piece of writing, music, or art. It is important
to outline that authorship is not granted unless the creation is tied to a tangible form of
expression - words, musical notes, painting, sculpture etc.

3. Libel
• Libel is a published false statement that is damaging to
a person's reputation: a written defamation.
• It is the protection of the reputation of others is a
legitimate ground for restricting the right to freedom
of expression. Libel and slander are legal claims that
protect an individual’s reputation against defamation.
• An individual is defamed when a person publishes
using and relying on third party words or making false
or inaccurate accusations that could damage a persons
image or ruin there reputation.

4. Real example of Libel
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Rumours or using false and inaccurate information from third parties for example
the Michael Jackson case, rumours of him being a paedophile which cant be
proven and no one had any evidence or any particular reason and no ‘alleged’
victim spoke out to say that he really was, press dragged the rumours out and it
damaged his reputation and image and over shadowed all the hard work he had
done to build his reputation and iconic image.
In interviews when Michael got questioned about these rumours he’d have an
answer/explanation why he did the things he did that made people suspect he was
a paedophile for example Neverland and his relationship with young children,
which was because he didn’t have a child hood so he made Neverland for all the
children so they could have a childhood and make the most of it, he made it into
everything he would of wanted to do when he was a child, and his close
relationship with children was because he was still a big kid and liked having fun
and he loved children and wanted to give them fun things he never had or had the
chance of doing.
Media producers can protect themselves against libel as long as they have or give
a reason for the stuff they have produced before its released or when its released
as people/press will have first impressions, pre judgements and make assumptions
and accusations. So they have to be prepared for that.

5. Ethical Considerations
• Legal Constraints
• A constraint is a limitation or a restriction on
something to prevent something else from
happening. In the Media industry there are
many limitations, laws and restrictions. Some
regulations aren’t legal meaning they aren’t
provided by law.

6. Ethical Constraints
Representation
• Ethical Constraints
• The representation of violence and sex and the presence
of strong language. Ethical guidelines and legislation in
this area are common and many media (e.g. film,
computer games) are based on ratings systems and
supervision by agencies.
• Product placement. An increasingly common marketing
tactic is the placement of products in entertainment
media. The producers of this media may be paid high
sums to display branded products. The practice is
controversial and largely unregulated.

7. Privacy
There are four fairly clear categories of privacy protection:
• Appropriation – Individuals have a right to protection against
the unauthorized use of there names for commercial
purposes. This is referred to as ‘right of publicity’.
• False light – Individuals have a right to protection against
disclosures of private facts that place them in a ‘false light’
before the public.
• Intrusion – Individuals have a right to protection against
unwarranted intrusion on private affairs.
• Public disclosure – Individuals have a right to protection
against the public disclosure of embarrassing facts of there
private lives.