What is copyright?
To put in the basic terms, "copyright is a legal device that provides the creator of a work of
art or literature, or a work that conveys information or ideas, the right to control how the
work is used" (Fishman, 2008, p. 6).The intent of copyright is to advance the progress of
knowledge by giving an author of a work an economic incentive to create new works (Loren,
2000).
What is fair use?
Each type of medium: print, video, music, images, and online, all have specific
requirements regarding fair and acceptable use. Each month of this professional
development on the copyright laws, we will explore what is acceptable for each medium
and ways you can use the material of others while still maintaining academic integrity. |
| http://www.newtrier.k12.il.us/media/files/content/New_Trier_Web_Site/Administration/Technology/Copyright_9-23-08.pdf |
Material | Copyright Status (original material, permission granted, or public domain) | Rationale or Basis | |
Photos | |||
Article | |||
Drawing | |||
Song | |||
Video | |||
Books | |||
Myth about Fair Use
"I don't need fair use--educators have special privileges."
Educators still have to follow fair use guidelines in the classroom. Many materials provided by outside companies state that teachers can duplicate materials for CLASSROOM USE ONLY while others are strickly for reference and to help the teacher who PURCHASED the material, which means that if another teacher wants access, he or she would have to purchase a copy of the resource. Teachers are also not to post publicly materials they purchased for classroom use because oncce posted publicly, the resource can be used in any format and situation.
Cobb County School District and Fair Use
Copyright Laws:
a. Adherence to fair use guidelines and other relevant copyright stipulations shall be
assured. In no instance shall library media materials and/or equipment be used in
such a manner as to violate Board Policy, District Administrative Rules or state and
federal law.
b. The library media specialist shall be responsible for ensuring the availability of
copyright information, dealing with copyright and clearance questions
(Administrative Rule EGAD [Intellectual Property] and Administrative Rule IJNDB
[Use of Technology Resources in Instruction]). Provisions for copyright clearance
are outlined on Form IJNDB-2 (Permission to Use a Third Party Work Copyright
Permission Request).
(Administrative Rule EGAD [Intellectual Property] and Administrative Rule IJNDB
[Use of Technology Resources in Instruction]). Provisions for copyright clearance
are outlined on Form IJNDB-2 (Permission to Use a Third Party Work Copyright
Permission Request).
I have read several different posts comcerning Copyright and Fair Use and each one has a different opinion on what an educator can and cannot use. I think it is very confusing and as media specialists it our responsiblilty to help teachers understand it. It just seems like there are so many different opinions of what is "FAIR Use".
ReplyDeleteThe chart was especially helpful in breaking down "What you Can do" and the "Fine Print". Sometimes I feel that the statement... "I don't need fair use--educators have special privileges", fits some of the teachers. However,I also think that they believe that if they are using it for educational purposes and not for financial gain or for entertainment then it is acceptable. Where is the line really drawn?
I found that the chart that you posted was very helpful and excellent resource to post in every classroom and around every printer. Copyright is one of those topics that you can never learn too much about. With all the different ways that you can access information on the internet it’s important that teachers and students know how to address this issue. I actually was put in a compromising copyright situation with an administrator not too long ago and almost forgot that I was about to break a law. I kindly told her that what she was thinking about doing was a copyright violation and that I could not help her. Thankfully, she did not proceed with the unlawful action.
ReplyDelete