New
New
Year 11
OCR

Data protection, copyright and the law

I can describe key UK computer laws and explain how they protect data, creative work and software use.

New
New
Year 11
OCR

Data protection, copyright and the law

I can describe key UK computer laws and explain how they protect data, creative work and software use.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Databases are designed to store large volumes of data.
  2. This data could hold sensitive and personal information about individuals and needs to be protected.
  3. In the UK there are a number of laws which protect data, including GDPR and The Data Protection Act.
  4. Software can be categorised as open source or proprietary.

Keywords

  • Patent - a legal right that gives an inventor the exclusive right to make, use or sell their invention for a certain number of years

  • Open source - software for which the program source code is made available to the general public

  • Proprietary - software that is owned by a company or person. You are not allowed to change, copy or share it without permission. Sometimes called closed source software.

Common misconception

Proprietary software always costs money.

Proprietary software is usually sold to end users, although sometimes it is available for free.


To help you plan your year 11 computer science lesson on: Data protection, copyright and the law, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson introdces examples of open source database management systems, but you may wish to discuss wider examples of open source software and its uses with pupils.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
What is personal data?
information about weather
random numbers
Correct answer: facts about a person that can identify them
computer code
Q2.
Which of these is an example of creative work?
Correct answer: a poem you wrote
a shopping list
a calculator
a ruler
Q3.
What is the main purpose of a password?
to decorate your screen
Correct answer: to protect access to data
to make things slower
to delete files
Q4.
What is the term for a programme that tells a computer what to do?
Correct Answer: software
Q5.
Match each term to its correct description:
Correct Answer:data,facts or information stored and used by a computer

facts or information stored and used by a computer

Correct Answer:rights,the ability to do something or have certain permissions

the ability to do something or have certain permissions

Correct Answer:owner,the person or group who controls something

the person or group who controls something

Correct Answer:database,an organised collection of information

an organised collection of information

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the main purpose of a database?
Correct answer: to store large amounts of data
to print documents
to create images
to design websites
Q2.
What type of information may a database contain?
only weather data
only photographs
only music files
Correct answer: sensitive and personal information
Q3.
Which statement about proprietary software is correct?
Proprietary software is always free.
Proprietary software always costs money.
Correct answer: Proprietary software is usually sold, but sometimes it is free.
Proprietary software can always be edited by anyone.
Q4.
What term describes software that allows anyone to view and modify its code?
Correct Answer: open source, open-source
Q5.
What is the term for a legal right that gives inventors exclusive control over their inventions?
Correct Answer: patent
Q6.
Match each law or licence to its correct description:
Correct Answer:Data Protection Act 2018,sets rules for collecting and using personal data in the UK

sets rules for collecting and using personal data in the UK

Correct Answer:General Data Protection Regulation GDPR,European regulation protecting individuals’ personal data

European regulation protecting individuals’ personal data

Correct Answer:Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988,UK law protecting original creative work and inventions

UK law protecting original creative work and inventions

Correct Answer:Creative Commons licence,allows creators to give permission for others to use their work

allows creators to give permission for others to use their work