Ryan White GRIT 685 Technology Planning Legal Issues in Technology 7/6/11 Copyright Laws and Education Copyright

and trade ar! la"s are nothing ne" as they#$e %een docu ented in the &' Constitution under (rticle 1) 'ection 8) e*plaining that +The Congress shall ha$e Po"er,To pro ote the Progress o- 'cience and use-ul (rts) %y securing -or li ited Ti es to (uthors and In$entors the e*clusi$e Right to their respecti$e Writings and .isco$eries/ 0.arden) 121134 5ar too o-ten) citi6ens -ail to gi$e due respect to these rights4 It ay sound peculiar and e$en %i6arre that the -ruits o- i agination and creati$ity can %e legally o"ned and thus charged a -ee -or their use4 'chool districts and teachers "al! a -ine line "hen they rely on the cultural riches o- this "orld "hen it co es to ac!no"ledging o"nership o- authors and in$entors4 They ust %e cogni6ant o- these procedures to eli inate ris! o- in-ringing upon the rights o- authors and in$entors4 I- care and consideration are not ta!en "hen copyrighted aterials are used) not only do districts) %ut idst o- a +cease7and7desist teachers as "ell) -ind the sel$es in the

letter and possi%ly a la"suit/ 0.arden) 12113 i- -ound guilty4 The 8uestion arises) +ho" to ta!e ad$antage o- cultural riches -or learning purposes "ithout su--ering a -inancial set%ac! e$ery ti e a student recei$es a lesson or the school %oard appro$es a sports tea 0.arden) 121134 In understanding "hat this -or al per ission syste eans to educators) "e ust ta!e a ore in depth loo! into "hat copyright la"s truly entail4 +Copyright is a that applies to 9original "or!s o- authorship) usical) artistic) and certain other including literary) dra atic) na e/

intellectual "or!s)# according to the &4'4 Copyright :--ice/ 0.arden) 121134 The ideas %ehind these la"s are to protect the entrepreneurial

instincts o- the creator so that they co$ers eight %asic categories, 14 Literary "or!s

ay si ply get paid4 +Copyright

14 ;usical "or!s) including any acco panying "ords <4 .ra atic "or!s) including any acco panying =4 Panto i es and Choreographic "or!s 54 Pictorial) graphic) and sculptural "or!s 64 ;otion pictures and other audio7$isual "or!s 74 'ound recordings 84 (rchitectural "or!s It is also applica%le to so-t"are and other digital 121134 Luc!ily -or educators there is so e lee"ay "hen it co es to the use o- these aterials in a nonpro-it setting4 ( a>or e*ception contained in the &4'4 Code !no"n as +-air use/ allo"s users to access portions o- copyrighted these use aterials "ithout a -ee4 When teachers use aterials) ho"e$er) deter ining "hether -air use applies is not ust %e considered4 Copyrighted aterials under the -air use ust %e ta!en ar!et $alue4 edia/ 0.arden) usic

al"ays straight-or"ard4 The nature o- the "or! and the purpose o- its e*ception cannot %e used -or co to the i pact that the use o- the This ercial use) only a certain aterial "ill ha$e on its

percentage o- the "or! can %e used) and consideration

essage "as rein-orced to educators +"ith the -ederal

Technology) ?ducation and Copyright @ar oni6ation 0T?(C@3 (ct4 This 1221 la" pro$ides educators "ith additional -le*i%ility -or Internet aterials or distance learning/ 0.arden) 121134 Too o-ten) teachers -ail to thin! a%out copyright la"s %e-ore do"nloading usic) copying pictures -ro the Internet) or a!ing copies o- large portions o- a %oo! or te*t%oo!4 Conse8uences ocopyright in-ringe ent could lead districts into a $ery costly -ederal court action resulting in + a>or -ines) an in>unction that prohi%its -uture

copyright $iolations) or a court order saying in-ringing copies

ust %e

destroyed4 0.arden) 12113/ Aut "ho is to %la e i- such a suit ta!es action) unin-or ed teachers) district ad inistratorsB :ne rule is clearC pleading ignorance is a $ery un"ise tactic4 Preventing Copyright Infringement in Schools .arden pro$ided a %asic understanding o- "hat copyright la"s are and ho" they i pact educational settings4 @e does not discuss pre$ention easures in detail) %ut insists that i- districts ta!e a naD$e ost de-initely -ail in court4 teachers through sta-stance on these la"s) testa ents "ill

There-ore) I see it as the districts duty to in-or appropriate copyright use4 Responsi%ility

de$elop ent or induction training on the policies and procedures oust %e directed to the indi$idual leading instruction) %ut the idea is to en-orce these la"s "hile still pro oting inno$ation and creati$ity4 Inad$ertent $iolations are ine$ita%le gi$en the co ple*ity o- copyright la") %ut intentional $iolations should not %e tolerated4

Who Owns Lesson Plans? ( ore uncertain issue in education "hen it co es to copyright ade -or hire# as 9a "or! prepared %y an

la"s is the 8uestion o- "ho o"ns the rights to a teacher#s lesson plans4 +The la" de-ines 9"or! e ployee "ithin the scope o- his or her e ploy ent/ 0.arden) 121134 While the district e ploys and pays the teacher to produce lesson plans as part o- their pro-essional duty) hard "or! and creati$ity are asserted $ia indi$idual e--ort4 This issue has %eco e contentious as entrepreneurial teachers ha$e %een success-ully selling lesson plans on the Internet and in %oo!s -or pro-it4 The Ee" For! Ti es reported so e teachers are pro-iting in the tens o- thousands o- dollars %y selling their "or! on online lesson plan "e%sites4

Pennsyl$ania 'tate College (rea 'chool .istrict addressed these issues in their o"n intellectual property policy4 The policy "as put -orth to settle o"nership discrepancies -or %oth instructors and ad inistrators4 +The policy declared that 9all aterial/intellectual property "ritten) created or de$eloped %y any e ployee o- the district shall %e and re ain the sole property o- Gthe districtH/ 0.arden) 121134 ? ployees "ere prohi%ited -ro selling their lesson plans and "ere ad$ised that a $iolation could %ring 9disciplinary action or dis issal4#

Works Cited .arden) ?d"in C4 +Right :n the ;ar!4/ ( erican 'chool 1I8 012113J =67=7) =I