Intellectual Property:
Intellectual property is a creation of mind, or of human intellect. It includes intangible things like literary and artistic works, design and symbols, names and images. There are certain laws to protect these kinds of property. Some familiar types are copyrights, patents and trademarks.
- Copyrights: The types of work protected by this kind of law are of various kinds ranging from books, music, paintings, sculpture and films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps and technical drawings
- Patents: This law protects invention.
- Trademark: it is used to protect names, color schemes and symbols of companies.
Teens and young adults, you can use these laws to protect their ideas, creations and work so they cannot be taken or misused by others in the future.
Underage Contracts:
Underage contracts or contract of minors are different than those of adults. These are for kids under the age of 18. The minors may have to fulfill certain prerequisites as they are regarded as someone not having adequate capacity to understand matters and questions involving contractual rights. If they do not, then the contract may be determined to be null and void. However, in certain circumstances parents may affirm the contract for the minor, or as a matter of fairness, the contract is upheld because the service or goods were already consumed. However there are still some contracts like taxes, penalties and bank regulations that hold the minor liable no matter what.
Teens and young adults should be aware that you can still make contracts and be bound by those contracts. Taking care to understand the terms is very important and you should always request a written document for review before agreeing to any deal.
Defamatory Communication:
Defamatory communication is the use of words or any communication that harms the reputation of a person or is aimed to degrade the respect of someone in a society. These are categorized as libel and slander. Libel pertains to written words or pictures, while slander are words that are spoken and heard. Under common law the statement needs to be false to be legally actionable, however law vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In the United States false light laws protect against statements which are not technically false but are misleading. Similarly, if you are expressing an opinion, the speech may also be protected. However, there will always be a degree of legal liability for someone spreading false information about another regardless of whether it’s your opinion or not.
If someone makes such a statement about you that hurts your reputation and you know its false, then you should take appropriate action to protect your image, including demanding an image be removed or a statement be retracted. Otherwise, the person communicating the information may have legal consequences for their actions.
Cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying is a kind of bullying that takes place digitally through internet, SMS access files, text or social media platforms. The intent behind such bullying is to hurt or abuse someone intentionally. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can also include sharing personal or private information about someone else just to cause them embarrassment or humiliation.
Again, the laws and penalties depend upon the country and region. Even so, if you find someone sharing false information about you, abusing you or threatening you then by any means please know that there are laws out there to protect you. So instead of keeping such things secret, it’s better to consult it with your parents and/or guardians, seek their help and do whatever it takes legally to protect your online image and to save yourself from humiliation that you don’t deserve.
References:
https://www.innovation-asset.com/blog/the-4-main-types-of-intellectual-property-and-related-costs
https://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/
https://lawshelf.com/coursewarecontentview/contracts-of-minors/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation#Laws_by_jurisdiction
https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/cyber-bullying.html