Fair Use Guidelines for Students

Liz RobbJamie Grauel

Melissa BorgerSam Westbrook

Table of ContentsWhat is Ownership? Items that are not protected by copyrightFair Use GuidelinesWhen Students can claim Fair UsePortion LimitsRules for Fair UsePermission FormsHelpful WebsitesReferences

What is Ownership?“Copyright laws are based on the belief

that anyone who creates an original work… deserves to be compensated for that work…” (Education World, 2003b).

Copyright laws instated to protect the artistic work of anyone, and to control how their work is used.

Items that are not Protected by Copyrights Works that are not tangible Titles, names, short phrases, slogans Ideas, methods, systems, concepts, discoveries Works that are common property Works published before Jan 1, 1923 Works published that do not contain a valid

copyright notice Works by employees of the Federal Government Works that the owners have freely granted to the

public

Fair Use GuidelinesFair Use Guidelines give students and

teachers guidelines for which they may use copyrighted material

Work should include a notice that explains to the audience that the presentation was created using Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia and proper citation of copyrighted material

When Students Can Claim Fair Use“Educational uses in the course for

which they were created”“Portfolios as examples of their

academic work”Personal uses such as “job and graduate

school interviews”. (Education World, 2003a).

Portion LimitsThe amount of copyrighted material that

can be used under Fair Use Guidelines.Text can be up to 10% or 1,000 words.Music can be up to 10% or 30 seconds.For more specific guidelines visit the

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Rules for Fair UseCopyrighted material cannot be left on a

website without restrictions that will allow anyone to electronically copy the material.

Copyrighted material can only be kept for two years before permission is needed from the creator.

Two copies can be kept, unless more people have created the project, and then they get copies too.

Copies can be used for educational use and a copy can be put on reserve in a library.

When to use Permission FormsIf there is any question that there will be

a violation of fair use guidelines.The use of material may have

commercial or profitable outcomes.If material usage could possibly exceed

Fair Use Guidelines in any way.

Helpful WebsitesLinks for more information on

copyright and fair use

ReferencesEducation World. (2003). Curriculum:

Copyright law and new technologies. Retrieved November 10, 2004 from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280c.shtml

Education World. (2003). Curriculum: The educator’s guide to copyright and fair use. Retrieved November 10, 2004 from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml