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Copyright

QUICK TIPS:

·  Fair use does not permit use of copyrighted materials for classroom use, without restriction.

·  In deciding if Fair Use applies, consider the following characteristics (The majority must weigh
   toward Fair Use, not just one):  
          Purpose and character of the use of copyrighted material (used for non-profit educational use
             or to create something new, such as parody),
             Nature of the copyrighted work (creative works more stringently protected than non-fiction),
             Amount of work copied (cannot be the "heart" of the work),
             Effect upon lost income for the copyright holder
·  Acknowledging the source material is not a substitution for getting permission.

·  Most permissions are granted for only one semester or one school term.

·  Educational guidelines about the amount of materials that can be copied, etc., have been carved
  out by a consortium of educational institutions across the United States. They are not part of
  federal law, but they are included as House committee documentation supporting the copyright law.
  The American Association of University Professors has declined to endorse them.

  Sample Guideline: Materials protected by Fair Use may be used for only one semester or one school
  term. Using the same material semester after semester without permission is not Fair Use.

  Sample Guideline: Videos taped off-air at home may be used for instructional purposes only up to 10
  days after the broadcast. The tape should be erased 45 days after the broadcast.

Here are links to some web sites than can provide more information:

 

Know your Copy Rights -- What You Can Do : A 2007 Brochure Aimed at Faculty and Teaching
Assistants.  A helpful brochure from the Association of Research Libraries.

 

Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States : A guide to the kinds of work protected by
copyright.  Provided by Cornell University.

 

What AU Faculty Need to Know about Copyright for Teaching:  A quick guide, in question-and-answer
format, prepared for American University faculty.  Most information is not specific to the American
University campus.

 

Academic Permission Resources:  One section of a very readable and comprehensive site called "Fair
Use" by Stanford University Libraries.

 

Copyright Crash Course:  A comprehensive tutorial (lots of legalese included) from the University of
Texas at Austin.

 

TEACH Act Toolkit:  An Online Resource for Understanding Copyright and Distance Education:  Developed by
the North Carolina State University Libraries, the NCSU Office of Legal Affairs, and NCSU's Distance
Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA).

 

Copyright Law of the United States:  Text of the actual law from the website of the U.S. Copyright
Office.

 

10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained:  The name says it all.  Written by Brad Templeton.


Library Resources:

 

Bielefield, Arlene.  Technology and copyright law : a guidebook for the library, research, and teaching
professions.  New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers, c2007.

        Call Number:  KF3030.1 .B533 2007.

 

Crews, Kenneth D.  Copyright law for librarians and educators : creative strategies and practical solutions.
Chicago : American Library Association, 2005. 

        Call Number:  Ref KF2995 .C74 2005.

 

Lindsey, Mark.  Copyright Law on Campus.  Pullman:  WSU Press, 2003. 

        Call Number:  KF3030.1 .L56 2003.

 

Lipinski, Tomas.  Copyright law and the distance education classroom.  Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press,
2005.
       Call Number:  KF4209.E38 L57 2005.

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