how well do you know copyright? connie murphy hylton high school library 2008

How Well Do You Know Copyright?

Connie Murphy

Hylton High School Library

2008

Question?

Did you infringe on copyright protection if you videotaped a TV news show, such as “Dateline” or “Twenty Minutes” to show in a class presentation?

a. Yes, you always have to buy videos

b. No, if you show it within 10 days of the broadcast.

c. No; it’s for educational use it’s OK to show it any time.

ANSWER

b. No, if you show it within 10 days of the broadcast; after 10 days you should be able to purchase a copy

Question?

Did you infringe on copyright protection if you purchased software for your home computer and copied it to another computer that you use at school?

a. Yes, the purchase price covers use on only one computer.

b. No; you paid for it, you can use it wherever you want for your personal needs.

ANSWER

b. No; the Software Publisher’s Association says it is OK for your own personal use – but NOT if you let others copy it.

Question?

Did you infringe on copyright protection if you created a multimedia collage using Internet graphics, text, and music for a class assignment that will be displayed on a school web site?

a. Yes, because it is available for public display and use from the web site.

b. No, because it is for educational purposes.

ANSWER

b. No, you can use it for educational purposes on the web, but only if you upload it to a password-protected website. It can always be used for a classroom presentation.

Question?

Did you infringe on copyright protection if you subscribe to an e-mail discussion list and made copies of a great study tip to give to others in one of your classes?

a. Yes, all e-mail is protected by copyright.

b. No, it was published on a public discussion list.

ANSWER

a. Yes, all e-mail is protected by copyright. Ask the sender’s permission first.

Question?

Unpublished works are not protected by copyright until copyright registration is filed in the US Copyright Office.

a. True

b. False

ANSWER

b. False, copyright protection exists from the time the work is created in fixed form.

Question?

Is a work protected by copyright ONLY if it includes a copyright notice (i.e., 2009 Owner’s Name)

a. Yes

b. No

ANSWER

b. No, all works dated after March 1, 1989, are no longer required by law to include the copyright notice.

Question?

What should you do if you are unsure about using the intellectual property of others?

a. Cite them carefully in your bibliography.

b. Ask first if it is OK to use part(s) of their works.

c. Go ahead; it’s covered under “Fair Use” for educational purposes.

ANSWER

b. It never hurts to ask first – ask the creator, or ask the opinion of school’s copyright expert. Just citing in a bibliography doesn’t always protect you from civil law suits. Fair Use can be interpreted in many ways, but educational purposes are generally permitted.

Isn’t the Web considered Public Domain?

NO, if there is no statement one way or the other, it should be assumed that the Web page content is copyrighted.

You can legally print one copy for your personal use.

Is it OK for faculty to photocopy for their students the information they have printed off the Web?

NO, not unless they have proof it’s Public Domain.

Their only legal copy is the personal copy printed/downloaded from the web site. Each student should print out her own copy.

Can I give copies of an article printed from an electronic database to students for classroom use?

NO – the license allows each student to print his/her own

You can print one copy for personal use

Can a collection of photocopied articles, electronic database articles, and book chapters ever be considered fair use”?

NO, NO, aany compilation of previously published readings is considered a new publication

Can a stack of photocopied loose articles and book chapters ever be considered “fair use”?

It might be… If the number of copied sources is

less than 9 articles But only the first time – Using the

same articles more than once constitutes systematic use

If each student has different articles

What about podcasts?

Copyright/intellectual property questions are in flux because it is a new technology

Use in the classroom is pretty safe The broader the distribution of the

recording, the less likely it qualifies as Fair Use

What about videos? Is it Fair Use to post video clips on YouTube or other web sites?

Video clips are allowable for multimedia projects

Again, the owner of the video is the only one with rights to display. You need permission before posting online.

YouTube was recently directed not to allow video clips from news media as they are the property of the network.

Can I download or copy an image from the Web?

Try to determine if it is copyrighted or if it is freely available

Allowable for use in a teacher lesson or student project

A teacher gets clip art and music from popular file-sharing sites, creates a lesson plan, and posts it on the school website. Is this permissible?

NO, teachers are not allowed to redistribute materials over the Internet or any other medium. You can use it, but don’t spread it around

What about computer software?

Software is usually purchased for individual computer use or licensed for a set number of computers for multiple users

Libraries may make an archival copy if it’s unavailable on the market

Can a teacher make back-up copies of her disks in case of damage, theft, or loss?

Yes, the law allows an archival copy.

If your original is lost, stolen, or damaged, copies may sometimes be used if the original CD’s are not available or are unreasonably priced.

What about linking to another website from my own?

Simple linking to authorized sites (like a public website) is not a copyright violation.

“Linking is a good idea and should be encouraged!

Deep linking” is possibly a violation

Bibliography

Davidson, Hall. "The Educators' Guide to Copyright and Fair Use…” Technology & Learning, Oct. 2002 http://archives.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/1

0/copyright.php

Quiz: http://archives.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2002/10/copyright_quiz.php

Chase, Rosemary. “Copyright Tutorial: the Basics.” George Mason University Copyright Office. http://copyright.gmu.edu/tutorials.html