Photo: Copyright and Fair Use

STEP 1 - LEARN Today, you will learn about laws around the use of photos that are on the internet.

WHAT IS COPYRIGHT? Copyright laws control the use of intellectual property (ie: literature, music, lyrics, plays, photos, movies, etc) to ensure the property is not used without consent of the original owner.

HOW DO I USE IMAGES THAT ARE COPYRIGHTED? Most professional photos on the internet, including those of current events and celebrities, are copyrighted. By law, if you want to publish one of those photos, you must get WRITTEN consent from the owner of the photo to use in your yearbook. In addition, always attribute photos that others have taken or created when using them in the yearbook. (ie: Photo courtesy of XXXXX or Photo by XXXXXX). Emphasize to students that they MAY NOT download and use photos of celebrities or current events without written permission unless the photos are copyright-free. We will be discussing websites that can be used for student publications later in this presentation.

WHAT IS FAIR USE? Fair use means you can use someone else’s photo, music, artwork or text as long as it is being used for educational purposes. The use of the work must not diminish it in any way The heart of the work may not be used Creator must not lose money as a result of use Fair use does not cover the use of that work in student newspapers or yearbooks. The work can only be used within school walls, like for a report or presentation.

WHAT ABOUT STOCK IMAGES? You can use sites such as Wikimedia Commons, Creativecommons.org or Morguefile.com to download and use images intended for creative uses. Most sites like Wikimedia require one to attribute the work to the site and the original creator of the work. Learn more about copyright and Fair Use laws from the Journalism Educators Association (JEA) at www.soundcloud.com/scholastic-press-rights

BUT REMEMBER! Anywhere you use a stock photo is a spot for a photo of someone in your school. You lose coverage when you use stock images in your book unless directly applicable to the topic you are covering.