Most college students wouldn’t think that a video camera would be a necessary tool to bring into a lecture hall, but for some YouTube connoisseurs, it is a necessary means for getting laughs on the Internet.

Youtube.com, a popular Web site that features thousands of video clips posted online by YouTube users, has recently seen a trend of videos featuring professors giving lectures in universities across the country.

The professors in these video clips are mostly portrayed negatively, and the videos are posted without their consent. Some professors choose to copyright their lectures and lecture notes; still the lectures can be clearly heard in these clips.

This has upset many faculty members and has caused some to sue the students posting the video clips for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement.

Barbara Mack, attorney and associate professor of journalism and mass communication, said the professors’ lawsuits could hold water in court.

“[A professor] is free to allege copyright infringement if he or she wishes,” Mack said.

Mack said professors should feel the need to defend their right to intellectual property if it is abused by others.

“You don’t want other people making money from your intellectual property, from what you developed on your own time by your own scholarship, and you would be obligated to pursue people who use that without your permission, whether that’s Facebook or a textbook,” Mack said.

Some of these students have caused interruptions during lectures while video taping the mayhem.

Many professors and students agree it is not okay to take attention away from valuable class time.

“The students who have paid money to learn in that class deserve to have real class time – not playtime. When you [college students] have paid as much money as you people are paying in tuition, you have a right to real classroom instruction,” Mack said.

“Tuition ain’t cheap.”

Dustin Peyton, freshman in biology, said it is not worth the laughs to interrupt valuable class time.

“I would be upset that they are interrupting my class time because I paid money to hear a professor speak about a subject and to learn as much as I can,” Peyton said.

Peyton, who has visited YouTube, is sympathetic of professors on this issue.

“I think that it would disrespectful if [the video] is presented in a way that makes the professor look bad,” Peyton said.

“I have a humorous nature, so I would probably find it funny, but I would also agree with the professors in that it is disrespectful.”

Ann Cannon, senior in animal ecology, said she is not impressed with the antics of the college students who put videos of their professors on YouTube.

“I think I might laugh initially, but if it was someone’s lecture then it’s not really fair to just go on the Internet and make fun of them,” Cannon said.

Cannon said she would try to have a sense of humor if students decided to take class time for comedy, but she would loose her patience quickly.

“If it were a short interruption, then it wouldn’t be a big deal,” Cannon said.

“But I am here for an education.”