13/05/2024
Saktrue!
𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗔𝗬 '𝗖𝗧𝗧𝗢'?
Did your instructors ever tell you to “cite your sources”?
As this world evolves, so does our ways of expressing ourselves. The volume of online content increases throughout the years and people grab and share anything that catches their attention on social media. More often than not, without the appropriate credit to the rightful owner means taking the works of others while addressing just a mere “CTTO.” Although it is not a Tagalog word, CTTO or “credits to the owner” is one of the most common acronyms you see in Filipino social media. This is primarily used when people share contents that were not originally theirs. However, most of the time, credit is not actually given because the actual owner is not named.
Nowadays, most social media post and shared post contains the acronym “CTTO” in which they intend to acknowledge works that they do not own, yet they are giving credit to the owner by using “CTTO”. But, is it really enough to say CTTO?
No, it is not. There has to be a certain effort to find the genuine owner or source of the copyright. Not crediting to the source is not the issue around here. But, claiming it as your own since no one is mentioned of owning the copyrighted content is the main case. If you are to credit someone appropriately, then put a photo or video right under to show the name of the original copyright. Will it unshackle you of any copyright infringement? It is a qualm, so the best way for you is to connect and ask the owner.
“Credits to the owner”, stands as an acronym for CTTO. This word is broadly practiced by the netizens in the social media as an “ascription” of sorts to the genuine owner or creator of the content. CTTO is a new-fangled trend when it comes to blogging sites. This is where you just acknowledge the owner of the blog with the blog in question. It is habitually done when you post in an entry with their blog in it. When using the acronym CTTO or any parallel variation, you are not only affronting the original creator of the content, but you are also in risk of sharing fake news content or material. With how rampant fake news and misinformation are now, not substantiating the information and its source can easily lead to a broader spread of disinformation.
Conferring to R.A. No. 8293 Government agency Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) an original work for personal use or education is considered fair use. It is also stated in Chapter II Section 172.2 of the said law that “works are protected by the sole fact of their creation, irrespective of their mode or form of expression, as well as of their content, quality and purpose.”
Copyright, in a nutshell, refers to the lawful security of the owner of a work of authorship for the limited expressive uses of that work, whether for the purpose of publication, distribution, or creation of derivative works. The owner of copyright has the elite right to make and sell copies of a specific original work. Moreover, copyright includes the content, quality, and purpose of the work and the process of creating it. While original works refers to the literary, music, architectural designs, films, scientific domains and more. The contents will possibly come from any types of photos and videos to stories and blocks of text to posts and memes.
As netizens, we must avoid copyright infringement because it is the unauthorized use of someone else’s copyrighted material. Adding CTTO or credits to the owner is not enough. IPOPHL stated that when you use this term, you also need to: (a) Seek permission first before using the content and approval for use and; (b) If you are granted to use the content or material, mention the owner’s full name, and cite the website or URL you stumble upon. This is the time you need to credit the owner properly.
If it happens you can’t find the original source of the content, then it is best that you will never share it. In case you end up posting and sharing any copyrighted content (say, a video clip of a movie) without the explicit permission of the owner, you may end up facing legal repercussions that may include but are not limited to imprisonment and fines.
How about you, have you tried using this term? Did you use it right?
Writers: Novagen Pamunag & Kimberly Asucan
Cartoonist: Michael Bravo
