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.
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Find images to use in your classroom multimedia productions, on your web page, or on bulletin boards without violating copyright. Help your students find images to include in their own products. This site is a tool to search the web for photos with "Creative Commons" rights. This means that many are free and ask only that you let the photographer know where you are usng the photo. Some are NOT free. Note: YOU MUST read the rights and permissions information that accompanies each image, since the photographer sets his/her own requirements. The intent of the site is to share photos in an open, easily-searchable environment, but in accordance with these requirements. Help your students learn about copyright by SHOWING them the rights sections and modeling compliance. The search tool is easy to use.
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Just because you can record a person's voice doesn't mean you can publish it on the web. Here's a site that outlines the basics of U.S. laws regarding copyright and publicity as they relate to user-created podcasts. You'll learn about which things are OK, which require permission, and other pointers to consider when creating podcasts for school or educational uses.
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Understanding and applying the Doctrine of Fair Use is vital for teachers and students at all levels. This site clearly explains important exemptions that limit the exclusive rights of copyright holders and provides analysis of the four factors of Fair Use. Other features include an interactive tool to help students and teachers determine whether the use of a copyrighted work is a "fair use," a downloadable worksheet, and classroom guidelines.
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Knowing the specific rules about copyright terms can be a definite benefit when copying or scanning. This easy-to-read chart outlines the point at which published or unpublished materials enter the public domain. It may be more information than you care to know about the public domain, but it will keep you legal!
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Test your working knowledge of copyright laws with this interactive tutorial that addresses the underlying principles behind copyright laws in the U.S., outlines requirements for copyright protection, and discusses parameters for use of copyrighted materials. As the tutorial progresses, visitors are presented with quizzes in the form of scenarios requiring a decision. It's entertaining, enlightening, and extremely helpful in clarifying copyright issues. You may even want to share this resource with your high school students before sending them off to college.
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This highly interactive explanation of copyright laws helps students recognize and understand their responsibility in citing sources. Use as an introduction or refresher before assigning research projects. The site also contains teacher resources and tips on explaining copyright issues.
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Try this student-created site on copyright and use of artwork in school and web projects as a great way to introduce elementary students to the basics of copyright an intellectual property. Teaching these habits early on is a great way to ensure compliance later on.
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Copyright Kids is a copyright primer created expressly for students. It provides a structured introduction to various aspects of copyright and their implications for students, especially those using the web for research projects. This one could be a great classroom reference or an integral element of a unit on copyright issues.
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Fairfield University’s introduction to “avoiding plagiarism” will also prove useful to secondary students who may be doing their first research involving documentation of sources. This resource is particularly useful in that it stresses the various “shades” of source notation and the requirements for each. Add this one to your collection of term paper writing aids.
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Teachers involved in distance education projects will find this introduction to the freedoms embodied in the TEACH act a useful tool. This act governs the copyright rule for the transmission of images and other materials as part of an accredited distance education course. These rules are generally more generous than “fair use” but still impose some limits. If your school creates distance education content, this one is a must.
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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.
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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.
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This is a collection of resources to help teachers and computer users understand the application of copyright and fair use laws to their work.
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The Napster court case provides a great entreé to the issue of copyright and why students should understand it. This CNN special report highlights some of the copyright issues in the case.
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This is the Stanford University Library's site for copyright and fair use information. It provides detailed information on copyright restrictions and the use of copyrighted material for educational use. It also contains links to legal resources and other information dealing with the use of copyrighted material in education and teaching.
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The Virginia Department of Education has created a very usable collection of acceptable internet and technology use policies from schools, colleges, and universities. These are presented along with some general guidelines as to the information that an AUP should contain. Great resource for schools and districts that want to be clear with students, faculty and staff about on-line rights and responsibilities.
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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 classroom teachers, parents, and technology specialists.
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The Educause web site offers this summary of the DMCA, along with an explanation of some of the proposed changes and up-to-date information on the latest exemptions and interpretations. There are also links to a variety of information sources on copyright and digital technologies.
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tanford 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.
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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.
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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.
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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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