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In the past, educators may have knowingly or unknowingly broken copyright law
and, until now, gotten away with it. Today, with the increasing use of the
Internet by teachers and students, teachers need to be aware of and follow all
copyright and fair use laws, especially since we should be setting a good example
for our students. Teachers must take the responsibility of teaching their
students an understanding of the copyright laws and fair use guidelines.
Students should understand that this is to protect the rights of the creators.
Besides teaching civic responsibility, we are also morally responsible for teaching
ethical responsibility. We must model the use of ethical and legal responsibility,
honesty and truthfulness. The taking and/or using of another's property or
work without permission is stealing. Educators and schools DO get 'caught' and
can be fined anywhere from hundreds to a hundred thousand dollars or more
for each infraction of the law. "Ignorance" of the law is not an excuse. To follow
is an outline of Copyright Law and Fair Use Guidelines to help you understand
what is and what is not allowable in the school setting.
Sometimes the copyright statement shows more than one date which
would include dates the work was updated or modified. For example: '
2003 2004 Ann Tomlin. Although copyright expiration dates can vary from
country to country, generally they last for the life of the creator/owner
PLUS 50 years.
Copyrighted items
Things that may be copyrighted include nearly every original, tangible expression
included in these seven broad categories:
HOWEVER...
A copyright item may be used or copied under certain conditions:
According to the 1976 Copyright Act, there are four criteria that are used to
determine fair use:
The purpose and character of the use. This includes whether such
use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational
purposes.
The nature of the copyrighted work.
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to
the copyrighted work as a whole.
The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of
the copyrighted work. (This often carries the most weight in
deciding if copyright has been violated.)
For instruction
Text
Motion media
Music
Illustrations
Internet
Numerical Data Sets
Although fair use guidelines establish the maximum quantity of
copyrighted material you may use, always use the minimum amount
sufficient and necessary for teaching.
Web resource for teaching Copyright law and Fair Use guidelines for
students:
Copyright for Kids http://www.copyrightkids.org/
Go to:
What is Copyright? Music Use
Retention Guidelines Photocopies and Scanners
Bibliography and Software Use
Resources Video Use
Internet Use
Also refer to: Copyright Support for Educators from North Carolina
Public Schools