Jessica Webb July 2013 Multimedia and Web Design

According to the U.S. Copyright Office (2012), Copyright is “a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works”.

Under the law, the individual or entity that owns the copyright of a work has the following rights: Reproduction: Making copies Adaptation: Changing a work in some way Distribution: Giving the work to others Public Performance: Playing/performing a work in front of others Public Display: Displaying a work for others to view Digital Transmission of Sound Recordings: Capturing audio files on the internet and burning CDs/file sharing

Copyright protects original works of authorship including literary works (including computer software and compilations), music, dramatic works, pantomimes, choreographic work, pictorial, graphic, and sculpture works (such as maps and blueprints), motion pictures and other audio/visual works, sound recordings, and architecture.

Under Fair Use guidelines, teachers may use videos (Videotapes, DVDs, Laserdiscs, Videos from the internet such as YouTube) in the classroom under these conditions: They are used in the classroom or non-profit environment The material is legitimately acquired Use is instructional, not entertainment or reward It is ok to copy ONLY if replacements are unavailable at fair price or in a viable format.

Scenario 1: Mrs. Zeigler’s class goes to recess every day after lunch. It has been raining all day so she decides to show The Little Mermaid to her students as an alternate plan. The DVD is a legitimate copy that she purchased and brought from home. Is this infringement of the copyright law?

Even though she is showing a legitimate copy of the video, this is infringement on copyright law because the video is being used for entertainment purposes and is not directly related to the curriculum. The only way Mrs. Zeigler could use this video for entertainment purposes is if she has purchased public performance rights.

Scenario 2: Mrs. Bennett’s class is studying Georgia’s habitats in social studies. She found a video, Habitats in Georgia, on YouTube that she’d like to show her students. The next day during social studies, Mrs. Bennett shows the video to her students and has them take notes. Is this infringement of the copyright law?

Mrs. Bennett did not infringe on the copyright law because she was using the video for instructional purposes in a classroom setting. The video was tied to her curriculum and not used for entertainment.

Scenario 3: Mrs. Tucker’s found a VHS tape in the school’s library that she’d like to use along with her science unit. Her VHS player is not working in her classroom so she decides to burn the VHS tape onto a DVD to show in her classroom. Is she infringing on copyright laws?

Mrs. Tucker did infringe on the copyright law because she made adaptations to the VHS tape. VHS players are not obsolete so it is illegal to burn a copy of the video onto a DVD even if she is using it for educational purposes.

As educators,we have a little more flexibility when it comes to copyright laws due to fair use policies, but we must be aware of what is legal and what is not. Educate yourself of the copyright law and of Colquitt County’s copyright policy. Please refer to for more information.

References: Adventure of the American Mind. (2007). Copyright for Teachers and School Librarians. Retrieved from Copyright Clearance Center. (2008). Copyright Basics: Fair Use. Retrieved from Edublogger. (2012). The Educator’s Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons.. Retrieved from commons/ Technology and Learning. ( ). Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers. Retrieved from our/Copyright&FairUsebyTechnologyandLearning.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=6NaJZRdYV7YNptHEgEd 4xzC1z U. S. Copyright. (2012, 05). Copyright Basics. Retrieved from