- What is copyright?
Copyright is a huge item of concern, especially for those of us in the field of stretching materials to make ends meet in the classroom. In a hurry to create your lesson plan and distribute materials needed for your students, what are you doing to protect yourself and your institution from the harms of copyright infringement?
Here’s what you need to know:
Copyright is the legal right to be the only one to reproduce, publish, and sell a book, musical recording, etc., for a certain period of time (Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary). If an company or organization writes a textbook, compiles a brochure or a paints a picture, the team or individual who worked to create it, has implied copyright laws to protect their work from anyone who may try to replicate or steal their work.
2. Four Tests for Fair Use: These are explicit guidelines used to direct the proper use of using copyrighted print materials for the classroom. For more details and an article on copyright, be sure to check out this link to the ASCD website featuring, Copyright 101 .
-Are the materials you copy, going to be used for nonprofit or educational purposes?
-What is the publishing status of the material you are using? Does it contain facts or opinion? Published works have less copyright protection than unpublished works, and although facts have no way of being protected, the way they are expressed and delivered, is.
-How much of the work are you using? The more you use, the less likely you are to be following copyright laws.
-What are the effects of your copies on the owner of the work and the market? If everyone were to do exactly what you were, where are the sales being taken from and who could suffer the consequences?
3. Why does the media type matter?
The type of media used in the classroom is essential to better understanding the rules and guidelines for each kind. Whether it be a media source, written material, or a digital recording, there are distinct guidelines for each category of copyrighted items.
Again, copyright is a HUGE component in maximizing the resources available for the 21st century classroom. Getting educated on the rules and regulations will not only help connect you to resources that are beneficial and handy, but will also keep you safe from potentially overstepping your copyright bounds.
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