25 September 2024

Developing a Global Copyright and Data Protection Online Training Offer

By Naomi Korn, CEO and Founder

I was thrilled and proud to be presenting our new Online Training Academy at last week’s SkillsFest24 –#UKSkillsPartnership & Department for Business and Trade‘s collaboration on showcasing UK skills and Training Providers, Awarding Organisations, Skills Tech suppliers, and Professional and Chartered Bodies.

With over 11,200 people from outside the UK registered for this online global event, and almost 8000 people watching live from 74 countries, I introduced the concept of the building blocks we used to create our unique online practical skills-based copyright and data protection training programme.

But why are copyright and data protection such important global issues?

Content and data are the lifeblood of modern organizations and the gold that fuels the digital global economy.

Content refers to any form of media, including text, images, videos, and audio that an organization creates, uses, or distributes.  Data, on the other hand, includes information such as customer details, employee records, and transactional information. Both content and data flow in various directions within an organization—internally among employees, externally with partners and clients, and often through various digital platforms.

With the rise of digital transformation, this flow has become faster, more complex, and more global. Companies now operate on a digital global scale, where content and data can be shared instantly across borders and time zones. This dynamic nature brings incredible opportunities but also significant responsibilities.

For organizations, adhering to copyright laws means respecting the intellectual property rights of others. This is crucial because:

1. Reputation and Trust: Violating copyright laws can lead to legal actions, fines, and reputational damage. Trust is a valuable currency in business, and a breach can erode the trust of customers, partners, and the public. In a global society, the lack copyright enforcement can reduce international trade opportunities. 
2. Innovation and Creativity: By respecting copyright, organizations encourage a culture of innovation and creativity. When creators feel their work is protected, they are more likely to innovate, which benefits everyone.
3. Operational Continuity: Copyright infringement can lead to disruptions in business operations, such as takedown requests or lawsuits, which can be costly and time-consuming.

In today’s world, data is a valuable asset, but it also comes with great responsibility. Data protection laws, like the GDPR in Europe, UK GDPR or CCPA in California, are designed to safeguard individuals’ personal information from misuse, unauthorized access, or breaches.

For organizations, adherence to data protection laws is not just a legal requirement but an important business consideration. Here’s why it matters:

1. Global Issue: In a global networked economy, international data sharing means that compliance with data protection principles is a global issue with severe financial penalties and legal consequences. For example, according to the UN  Trade and Development, 137 out of 194 countries have put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy. 
2. Customer Trust and Loyalty: Data breaches can severely damage the trust customers place in an organization. Adhering to data protection laws ensures that personal information is handled with care, building confidence among customers.
3. Operational Efficiency: Complying with data protection laws also encourages better data management practices, leading to more efficient and secure operations.

How can organizations optimise the potential of their data and content? One of the best strategies is through practical, skills-based training, like the comprehensive skills-based training we offer through our Online Training Academy. The courses that make up our online Training Academy have been developed to train the untrainable topics of copyright and data protection. These are their shared characteristics:

1. Hands-On Learning: Our practical training includes real-world scenarios and case studies to help you recognize and respond to copyright and data protection issues effectively in a variety of contexts, equipping you with the skills and confidence you need to navigate the complexity of the regulatory landscape.
2. Role-Specific Training: Everyone needs training that’s relevant to their roles. Because our courses are delivered live, we bespoke our training courses to ensure that everyone knows how to play their part in compliance and what you will need to do in your specific work-based contexts after you learn with us.
3. Currency and Relevance: Laws can be amended and how they apply to a rapidly changing digital landscape, are crucial to understand. Our courses cover topics like AI, Ethics and Privacy, Copyright and Data Protection Basics and Creative Commons Licences to keep everyone up-to-date with the latest rules and practical applications.
4. Building a Culture of Confidence and Compliance: Training goes beyond just what the laws say; it should help build a mindset of care and responsibility. Through case studies, group work and assignments, you will develop the confidence you need to understand the consequences of your actions—both the ladders you can climb and the snakes you can avoid. Which means you can immediately integrate the best practices you have learnt into your work. Our range of course across different certification levels, means that you can learn in bite-size topics, and build your confidence in different related areas in an online learning space designed to support your understanding and confidence.
5. Principles based: The laws may vary from country to country – but the core principles underpinning copyright and data protection are the same internationally – It’s about respecting the rights of creators and protecting individuals’ privacy. No matter where you based, building a foundation of trust and integrity through appropriate organisational processes and policies supported by high levels of awareness and competency will be crucial. We reflect this in our training and invite international participations to share in their concerns and learning journeys.

A massive thanks to Jonathan Ledger from the Department for Business and Trade for enabling us to present at such a prestigious and important event.

If you’re looking for a fresh way to gain an understanding of basic copyright principles and/or is reproducing, creating, sharing, publishing, commissioning or digitising content, there’s still time for you to book your place on Naomi Korn Associates’ next Copyright Essentials: An Introduction course, allowing participants to gain 6 CPD Points, is running 2 & 3 October 2024, with 2025 dates to be announced soon.

We also have plenty of intermediate level courses coming up this autumn and winter, each worth 3 CPD Points, with Copyright & Commissioning running 30th September 2024 (2025 dates also coming soon). Our Copyright & Commissioning course teaches you all you need to master copyright and commissioning to protect your creative projects and maximise investment from the start. 

Each of our intermediate courses can be taken as an individual course or as part of our Intermediate Certificate (available in Copyright and in Data Protection).  Book any of our courses via our Online Training page or contact our Training Manager at info@naomikorn.com.