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Intellectual Property Tax: A Journey In Need of a Map


Last week, I went to my MYP (Middle Years Program) coordinator with the goal of creating an interactive way for students to track their learning in a unit of inquiry. We created something together, and then she asked if she could share it with the rest of the MYP team on both campuses. I was happy to share with whomever was interested in using it, so I posted it to a shared file on Google Drive and went on my way. A few days later, I was surprised to find that she had renamed the doc adding @Noa. A Meghan Trainer song flashed into my head, “My name is…NO!” I had NO intention of having my name on the doc, even if it was my idea. Needless to say, I removed my name and respectfully emailed my coordinator.

I love sharing my work, and I am always happy share (Our #ONedchat team member, Peter Cameron, cleverly refers to it as #SharesEase), but I have hit a lot of bumps on the intellectual property road and struggle with the “right” way to share. I have been burned many times, so I really need to map this out.

Many years ago, I joyfully shared a unit with my then vice principal that I had developed with deep intentionality and a lot of creativity. When she asked me for it, I felt so proud to hand it over. She worked at both campuses of my former school, but I didn’t expect that she would have shared it with others without noting the source. The next year, a colleague at the other campus told me she had been given an incredible unit from our VP and that I should consider using the amazing materials. When she handed me the package, I felt ill. It was the very unit that I had shared given namelessly to my colleague by the VP. It wasn’t just about the credit.

A few years ago, I was sitting with a former MYP coordinator talking about my Grade 7 (MYP 2) program. She excitedly shared what she called an "innovative idea" and proceeded to opened up the very Friday Photo Notebook file that I had given to a colleague only months before. He had taken complete ownership of the idea and product that took me years to curate. That was going to be the last time I would allow my original work to remain

unattributed to me, or was it?

This is about integrity. Since as far back as I can recall, I have gotten pleasure from having developed the kind of projects and lessons that others wanted to bring to their classroom. It simultaneously validates my work while it fills me with a greater sense of purpose. The scenarios I experienced detracted from that feeling, so I had tried to make some changes. When Building Outside the Blocks became the umbrella term for an approach that I had been unknowingly developing over decades, I was happy to share any outline with anyone. After several burns related to those projects, I became determined to have it Trademarked. Somehow, I thought that having that TM next to Building Outside the Blocks would change things, but it hasn't. I don't put my name or the BOB logo on any of my project outlines.

It's just not how I roll. When I share one of my BOBs, I want whoever uses it to be able to personalize them for their needs, style and students. Since there is no mention of me or the idea that they are part of my approach, this has really become a challenge. How can I keep my name off the work but still ensure that I am forever connected to it?

I don’t want to watch someone hand me a BOB project outline as their own, but I still don’t really know how to change this. I teach citation skills for words and images because I believe that people have a right to be recognized for their original works and it is a professional duty to have my students note all citations correctly (in MLA format). The problem is, I really don’t know how to do that with my own original works. I’ve considered a watermark or even a footnote, but it just doesn’t feel right.

I love the idea of sharing my work, and I love when others are open to do the same. I learn a lot that way. Though I have little interest in the recognition, it isn’t right when people pass your work off as their own or do not give credit where it is due. As I now have to consider this next step in my #SharesEase journey, I welcome your insights and feedback. How do I share without feeling the tax and tumult of intellectual property rights and responsibilities? I welcome advice and insight as I consider my next steps in figuring out the landmarks that would make sharing a little easier and keep it on the high road.


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