Lesson Plan

• Describe why intellectual property needs legal protection in computing.
• Explain the core rights granted by copyright and how they differ from other IP types.
• Analyse the benefits and ethical considerations of copyright legislation using case examples.
• Apply knowledge to evaluate licensing decisions for software projects.

• Projector and screen
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed handout of the IP comparison table
• Napster case‑study worksheet
• Short video clip on copyright basics
• Laptops or tablets for each student

Begin with a quick poll: “What would happen if anyone could copy software for free?” Connect this to students’ prior knowledge of software licences. Explain that today they will discover why societies create copyright laws and how those laws shape ethical decisions in computing. Success will be measured by their ability to describe rights, benefits, and ethical issues.

1. Do‑now (5'): Quick quiz on types of IP to activate prior knowledge.
2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Explain why intellectual property needs protection and outline the four core copyright rights.
3. Group activity (15'): Using the handout, compare copyright, patents, trademarks, and design rights; complete a Venn diagram worksheet.
4. Case‑study discussion (15'): Examine the Napster controversy; students debate ethical and legal implications in pairs.
5. Guided practice (10'): Evaluate a hypothetical software licensing scenario and decide which rights apply.
6. Exit ticket (5'): Write one benefit of copyright legislation and one ethical challenge it raises.

Summarise how copyright balances creator incentives with societal needs and highlight the ethical questions that persist. Collect exit tickets as a retrieval check and assign a short homework: research a recent copyright dispute in technology and prepare a one‑page summary.