Copyright, Collaboration & Plagiarism
Reading
Two informative excerpts
Here are two excerpts that I think are informative. [Note
that they both are products of the U. S. Government and thus
in the public domain!]
"Copyright protects the particular way authors have expressed
themselves. It does not extend to any ideas, systems, or factual
information conveyed in a work."
— http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html
I think this is illuminating because it says something concise
and authoritative about what cannot be copyrighted. The next
quotation is from a a legal ruling, and I think
it sheds some light on Fair Use and its limits.
"[A] reviewer may fairly cite largely from the original work,
if his design be really and truly to use the passages for
the purposes of fair and reasonable criticism. On the other
hand, it is as clear, that if he thus cites the most
important parts of the work, with a view, not to criticize,
but to supersede the use of the original work, and
substitute the review for it, such a use will be deemed in
law a piracy ... "
— Judge in Joseph Story in Folsom v. Marsh
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use)
A few extra notes about copyright and programs
It's worth making a few remarks specifically about programs and
copyright. These are just some general observations, and I sure
wouldn't rely on them as expert legal advice, but none-the-less
they hopefully help provide some big picture view of programs
and copyright.
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Copyright generally applies to programs. If a program is in the
public domain, copyright does not apply. Otherwise, what privileges
the copyright holder grants others is usually spelled out in a license.
(This is also true for many other kinds of electronic media, photos
or example.) If you write software and want to release it to the world,
you might want to look at some of the common software licenses, like the
Apache License, The Gnu Public License, or the Free BSD license.
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An algorithm --- distinct from a particular embodiment of the algorithm
as a program --- would not seem to be copyrightable, but rather patentable.
That means that unless the authors/inventors of an algorithm have
a patent, you can freely use that algorithm.
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Functionality, interface, look-and-feel:
There was a famous court-case in the 90's in which Apple claimed that
Microsoft infringed on Apple's copyright by imitating the look and feel
of its graphical user interface in Windows. They lost!
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Computer,_Inc._v._Microsoft_Corp.)
Note: They did win one small part of the suit, because the folder and trash
can icon in an HP application running on Windows was deemed to infringe.
So, look-and-feel, interface, functionality ... these are not copyrightable.
Something like an icon is --- which makes sense, since it is on its own
copyrightable like a normal work of art.
An example of as question you should be able to answer
Answer the following questions according to Copyright Law as applied to online
materials.
- On some other school's website, you find the online notes
for a course similar to IC210. They are publicly available
on that website, and you find them helpful. Can you legally
download these notes and then bundle them into a
pseudo-textbook for your own personal use?
- Can you make multiple copies of the pseudo-textbook
described in 1 above at Kinkos and then sell these copies on
e-bay?
- Would your answer to 2 change if you didn't charge folks
money for the copies?
Continuous Learning Opportunities
The following sections summarize many of the continuous learning opportunities
available to Midshipmen in the Computer Science Department at the USNA, both
during their studies and after graduation. The Computer Science Department is
committed to the notion of lifelong learning, and wholeheartedly supports all
these opportunities as a complement to its course of instruction in the
classroom.
Summer Internships
Though they may vary from year to year due to funding, the CS Department
currently support the summer internships listed below. Summer internships count
as professional training, so they replace other afloat assignments rather than
leave. Internships are awarded on a competitive basis when the number of
applicants exceeds the number of available positions. The info briefs and the
application process normally begin in October/November.
Interested Midshipmen should contact the relevant POCs below
- Computing and Modeling at NOAA: POC Prof. Chambers
This internship is for 2-4 students each summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides weather modeling and prediction to the entire country, as well as specific services to our Navy and Marines forces in the field. We send a few midshipmen to intern with their high performance computing group to learn and contribute to the massive data problems that NOAA solves.
- Draper Labs in Boston: POC Prof. Roche
Draper is a research lab associated with MIT whose purpose is largely to
connect cutting-edge researchers with problems that the military needs to be
solved. As one high-profile example, Draper Labs developed and manages the
Trident missile guidance system. We will send a group of up to 7 Midshipmen
during 2nd block to work in 2-3 teams on different projects within Draper where
computing expertise is most relevant. The specific projects change each year
based on the current projects at Draper, but we will work closely with the
researchers to pair Midshipmen with specific projects based on their interests
and background.
- High Performance Computing (HPC): POC Prof. Chambers
This is our annual summer internship at a DoD supercomputing site (in Maui or
in Stennis Air Force Base). You'll travel with a USNA faculty member to visit
one of these supercomputers, and spend your internship doing hands on research
with that faculty member. The research topics vary based on faculty, but each
relies on the HPC resources which you'll learn to effectively use.
- Naval Postgrad School (NPS) in Monterey, CA: POC Prof. Chambers
We are sending 2 midshipmen to NPS to work directly with research faculty in computer science, data science, and cyber security. The projects vary each summer and will depend on the particular projects that NPS is looking into. You'll stay in the Monterey, CA area and work on cutting edge research.
- Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in Mountain View, CA: POC Prof. Chambers
This is a new internship with one of the most innovative teams in the DoD. The DIU (https://www.diu.mil) is located in the heart of Silicon Valley with a mission to connect with the latest tech startups to find solutions to the military's technological challenges. They focus a lot on drone intelligence, and 2 midshipmen will go next summer to work with the DIU team on drone software and challenges.
- Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico: POC CAPT Sarmento
We will send a couple midshipmen to Los Alamos directly from the CompSci department to work with researchers in Physics and related disciplines who have computational and software challenges that our CS and IT majors are uniquely positioned to help with. You'll work on active research based on their staff's current challenges.
- National Security Agency (NSA): POC Prof. Mark DeBels in the Center for Cyber Security Studies
Typically, a number of midshipmen from Computer Science, IT, Cyber, Math, and ECE go
each summer to intern with NSA at or near Ft. Meade.
This program requires a TS/SCI clearance. There are
several divisions to which you may be assigned, from Operations to Research and
Development. Midshipmen will lodge on or near Fort Meade.
- NRO-NPS: POC: CDR Michael Kauppert in Aerospace Engineering
The National Reconnaissance Office sponsors summer internships to the Naval
Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, CA. This year, the department is sending
2 Midshipmen to this program, which also requires a TS/SCI clearance.
NPS offers postgraduate degrees in Computer Science, and the faculty are very
involved in research. NPS has an engineering focus and a diverse student body,
including military officers from all the services, DoD civilians, and
international military officers from around the world. Many Naval Officers
transitioning to the IDC community will study in Computer Science at NPS as
part of their transition. Midshipmen will be assigned to NPS faculty members to
assist with ongoing research.
- Other Internships
The CS Department has other internships in the works each year, and are not yet finalized for 2020 and beyond so stay tuned for emails in the Fall time frame with the official list of opportunities. There are also other opportunities in other departments that frequently need IT and CS majors to help with, since computing skills are widely needed and the number of students with these skills are few!
- Outside Classes:
In recent years, the department has been able to send selected Midshipmen to
advanced commercial courses. Many of these courses are offered by the SANS
Institute, which specializes in cyber security, and has been a strong supporter
of USNA. Contact a faculty member if interested.
Research Classes
Midshipmen interested in pursuing research for course credit may work with
faculty to do so. Midshipmen must have a 3.0 or higher QPR, a faculty sponsor,
and completed 22 hours of the CS or IT major. Proposals must be approved by the
department's Research Committee. Midshipmen will not normally be approved to
conduct more than one research class at a time.
Extracurricular Activities
The department supports the Cyber Security Team ECA. Its member meet to discuss the latest developments in the field,
and to occasionally participate in local, national, and international
cyber-related competitions.
The department annually participates in the NSA-sponsored Cyber Defense
Exercise, or CDX, which normally occurs in April. Preparation for the exercise
begins months prior, and the competition is open to all Midshipmen. The event
often garners national media attention, and has high visibility with USNA’s
leadership.
The department also supports the Women in Cybersecurity and Computing (WICC) ECA.
WICC was created to inspire and empower women by providing a sense of community and support for women interested in technology-related careers or fields. The members participate in MOs to attend conferences and volunteer in STEM activities.
Contact Prof. Crainiceanu for more information.
Trident Scholar and Bowman Scholar
Trident Scholar is a program that allows a few exceptional Midshipmen to pursue
independent research during their 1/c year. Trident scholars are selected
competitively, from across all the departments on the yard, based on the
quality of their presented research proposal. Trident scholar applicants must
be in the top 15 percent of their class at the end of Fall semester, 2/c year.
During the Spring semester of 1/c year, Trident Scholars present their research
publications at the annual Trident Scholar conference at USNA. Trident Scholars
are eligible for funds from agencies like NRL to purchase equipment for their
research. Interested Midshipmen should work with faculty to develop a proposal
during the course of 2/c year.
The Bowman Scholar program is an opportunity for Midshipmen to select early for
the nuclear navy, during their 2/c year, while also pursuing research. Bowman
applicants must have at least a 3.2 QPR and be in the top half of their class
by military order of merit. In conjunction with early acceptance into the
nuclear power program, selected scholars perform a research internship during
1/c summer, and will usually be able to attend NPS immediately following
graduation to obtain a Master’s Degree.
ACM and IEEE Computer Society
- ACM:
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) claims to be the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. It sponsors the ACM Turing Award, which some call the “Nobel Prize in Computer Science.” ACM Student Memberships begin at $19. The ACM Digital Library, which is accessible by Midshipmen for free via when accessed via the Naval Academy network, is a vast collection of articles from conferences and journals on a wide variety of computing disciplines. The ACM also sponsors Special Interest Groups (SIGs) on many topics, ranging from computer architecture and artificial intelligence to software engineering. ACM’s web site also includes a list of the many technical conferences they sponsor around the globe.
- IEEE CS:
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, or IEEE, is an
engineering professional society, founded in 1963. It is comprised of 38 member
societies, one of which is the IEEE Computer Society. The IEEE also sponsors
many technical conferences around the world each year, and publishes a wide
range of magazines and journals. The IEEE Explore digital library, containing
millions of technical documents, is available free to Midshipmen through the
USNA network. Student membership in the IEEE Computer Society is currently $40.
Upsilon Pi Epsilon
Founded in 1967, UPE is an international honor society for the computing and
information disciplines. USNA has an active chapter, which annually inducts new
members from the department. UPE is fully endorsed by the ACM and the IEEE
Computer Society.
Graduate School
There are several scholarship opportunities that allow Midshipmen to attend
graduate school immediately following graduation from USNA, en route to a
service assignment. Program instructions are available on the USNA intranet,
and applications are submitted through MIDS. Program briefings will normally be
given around March of 2/c year. If interested, work hard to maximize your QPR
and work with your adviser during 3/c year to ensure your matrix supports a
particular program.
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VGEP: VGEP allows up to 20 Midshipmen to attend
grad school in the local area, beginning in Spring semester 1/c year.
Midshipmen must have at least a 3.2 QPR and a “B” or higher in
Military Aptitude and Conduct. Midshipmen should be able to complete their normal
course of study at USNA by the end of Fall semester, 1/c year (except for the Junior Officer Practicum NS43X).
Students in CS or IT will attend Johns Hopkins University full-time. The
M.S. degree is normally attained by the December after USNA graduation.
- Civilian Scholarship Programs: There are a variety of other opportunities
for outstanding Midshipmen to study on scholarship at civilian institutions.
There are sponsored CS/IT programs at UT-Austin, MIT with Draper Labs, MIT
with Lincoln Labs, the University of Pennsylvania, and numerous programs
associated with the UK-ISP national competitions (Rhodes, Marshall, Gates,
Church, Mitchell, and Rotary) and USNA competitions (Pownall, Fitzgerald,
Nolan, and Kings). In addition, the Burke program allows you to apply for
delayed graduate studies, usually at NPS, after your first fleet tour.
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Naval Postgraduate School: The Naval Postgraduate School offers Master’s Degree programs in
Computer Science and Software Engineering. In addition, its MOVES Institute
offers a program in modeling and simulation. Navy and Marine Corps Officers are
eligible to enroll, and should work with their fleet community detailers.
Here are useful links:
The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination,
is a nationwide exam often used by graduate schools for admissions. There is a
"general" GRE and there are subject-specific GREs. If you plan to apply to
graduate school in the near future, you should consider taking the GRE and
having your scores sent to graduate institutions. Be sure to check whether your
graduate school would like to see scores on the general exam, a
subject-specific exam (e.g., the Computer Science GRE), or both. A good time to
take the GRE is near the end of your 1/c year, or soon after graduation, while
the bulk of the material is relatively fresh in your mind.