TechTopics - Copyright & Fair Use

Updated: January 19, 2007

Questions regarding the fair use of copyrighted materials - both print and multimedia - are sure to arise when using technology for teaching. While there are established guidelines for fair use, they are not precise and the constant introduction of new technologies makes fair use standards problematic at times.

Below are links to a collection of government, university, and association sites that can help clarify copyright issues and protections. These should be helpful for teachers and students who are concerned about copyright issues, or for schools developing copyright policies for use in their technology programs.

The Copyright Website - This site offers the cleanest explanations we've seen of the various issues involved in copyright, fair use, and related copyright issues for multimedia and the web. While no site can offer definitive legal advice for your specific situation, the content on these pages should be helpful to both classroom teachers and technology specialists.

Copyright Bay - Here's a whimsical look at copyright that may be useful for those who need an entire tutorial on the topic. If you're looking for quick answers to specific questions, there are better sites than this, but it works well for a general overview.

Copyright Issues for Multimedia - This is a well-organized, comparatively easy-to-use description of what is and is not considered fair use of multimedia materials in classroom presentations, student assignments, and similar activities. It links to a considerably longer document that establishes a number of principles that can be applied to just about any multimedia project or activity. While copyright is never a completely "black and white" issue, this resource adds considerable clarity.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act - The Educause web site offers this summary of the DMCA, along with an explanation of some of the proposed changes. There are also links to a variety of information sources on copyright and digital technologies.

Fair Use and Copyright - Stanford University's guidelines on Fair Use, coupled with specific information (see the links at the bottom of their page) for multimedia projects. The site includes links to numerous primary legal sources.

Fair Use of Copyrighted Works - A 1996 document summarizing the work of the Consortium for Educational Technology for University Systems, which is comprised of California State University, State University of New York, and the City University of New York. It provides an overview of fair use, examples and illustrations, and additional copyright links.

Intellectual Property in the Information Age - A Classroom Guide to Copyright - This site from the University of San Francisco offers a review of copyright dos and don'ts for classroom activities. Users will learn what they can and cannot do with copyrighted works, including resources found on the web. Good introduction for those planning a web project or interested in using web materials in their classes.

Multimedia Fair Use - Hosted at Penn State, this site offers the text of an agreement among several universities. A number of publishers and producers have endorsed the document's principles.

U.S. Copyright Office Home Page - Links to full text of copyright law, Congressional discussions on copyright revision, and numerous PDF files on specific or technical topics related to copyright.

 

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