Copyright law

What is copyright? Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to authors of “original works of authorship”. Creative works that are covered include: All of the these materials are used in the classroom and one time or another.

Infringement Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or unlicensed copying of a work subject to copyright. Infringement happens often in the classroom by teachers and students, which they may or may not know that they are breaking the law.

Examples of infringement in the classroom Allowing students to download MP3 files of music Software use without a license Reproduction of printed materials for student/teacher use References not sited in assignments Copying pictures from google images Text/Quotes from websites

What is Fair Use? Fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited purpose. It allows for copying of material without the consent of the original author or copyright owner. There also has to be a “transformative” purpose, such as commenting, criticism, or a parody. Examples: quoting lines from a song, summarizing an article, or work that makes fun of someone or a situation.

Things students need to consider in regards to copyright laws and school related assignments Know what materials are protected(literary works, music, videos, motion pictures, art work, dramatic works, etc) Know the process to obtain permission when wanting to copy an original authors works Get copyright protection for your own original works

Websites https://www.legalzoom.com/knowledge/copyright/topic/copyr ight-definition http://www.techlawjournal.com/glossary/legal/infringement.as p http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech121.shtml http://www.theedublogger.com/2012/02/09/the-educators- guide-to-copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/ http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use/ http://www.copyrightkids.org/cbasicsframes.htm