Educators Need to Understand Copyright Law,

Fair Use & Acceptable Use

Policies

By Ian Coleman

Important Ideas

Fair Use

Copyright

Acceptable Use Policies

So You Want To Use Some Information From The Web?Fair Use!

Whenever you borrow from or use a picture, text or other piece of “original” work that was not created by yourself, include with it information of where you retrieved it and/or seek permission from the “author” to use it.

Fair Use

The Copyright Act of 1976 allows for limited use of copyrighted materials by non-profit education groups without permission.

The law is vague and flexible and great care should be taken by the educator to understand it before using a work.

More information on Fair Use can be found at http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm

Copyright Law - covers “original works of authorship” such as:

literary works

musical works, including any accompanying words

dramatic works, including any accompanying music

pantomimes and choreographic works

pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works

motion pictures and other audiovisual works

sound recordings

architectural works

Information found @ (www.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/copyright/copyrightlaw.htm)

Copyright Infringement

Awards to copyright owners can be anywhere from $500 to $20,000 if the work was infringed upon unintentionally.

Willful or knowledgeable infringement can result in awards as much as $100,000 for copyright owner.

www.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/copyright/copyrightlaw.htm

Acceptable Use Policies

AUPs are one way in which school districts are attempting to govern student use for computers and internet services.

Alternative to internet guard program

AUPs should include:

Acceptable computer use behaviors.

Privileges and encourage shared responsibilities

Guidelines for safety in use of internet

Information about copyright infringement

Student input and joint authorship of personal plan

A discussion of consequences of inappropriate or irresponsible internet and computer use

Thanks to www.isafe.org Acceptable Use Policies guidelines

Acceptable Use Policies

Since the internets inception, AUP’s have been crafted and implemented in many school districts throughout the U.S. For more information on AUP’s visit

www.education-world.com www.isafe.org www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/policies.asp

Bibliography

California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/policies.asp

Internet Safety - ISAFE www.isafe.org

Copyright Law of the United States http://www.copyright.gov/title17/ www.ed.uiuc.edu/wp/copyright/copyrightlaw.htm

Modeling Respectful Use of the Work of Others AKA Copyright Law - Kay Lehmann - 2003