Title 17 United States Code Annotated Section 107 § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use   Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a

copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include--

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; (2) the nature of the copyrighted work; (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted

work as a whole; and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted

work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such

finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

Remember: ignorance of the law is no defense!

Here is a brief synopsis of FAIR USE for Copyright protected materials: Text: up to 10% or 1,000 words, whichever is less If a poem is less than 250 words and is printed on not more than two pages, it may be copied in its entirety, if

it is longer, only 250 words may be copied. An unfinished line may be finished, if the 250 words falls in the middle of a line. If a complete article, story or essay is less than 2,500 words, it may be copied in its entirety. Plays, novels, or

letters, 1,000 words or 10% of the whole, whichever is less, may be copied. No matter the length of the work 500 words may be copied even if that exceeds 10% of the whole with the exception of picture books due to their brevity.

Audio: up to 10%, but not more than 30 seconds Images: not more than five images by the same artist or photographer Video: up to 10% or three minutes, whichever is less Numerical data: up to 10% or 2500 fields or cell entries, whichever is less Educators may use their multimedia projects and materials for educational purposes for a period of up to two

years after the first instructional use in class. Beyond that period they must acquire permission of the holders of each copyrighted portion.

Teachers may copy a single copy for their own use of: A chapter of a book An article from a periodical or newspaper A short story, essay or poem A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, picture from a book, periodical, or

newspaper.

When using copyright protected materials, you must give credit to the author, artist or creator from whom each item is borrowed.

You may NOT copy workbooks or works that are “consumable”.

From: Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning, Robert Heinich, editor. Merrill Prentice Hall, Columbus, Ohio: 1993, page 249. Copyright for Schools: a Practical Guide, Third Edition, Carol Simpson. Linworth Publishing, Inc., Worthington, Ohio: 2001, pages 23,25.

BEST SOURCES These books have many forms to copy and use. They are made just for schools, so the information

is very appropriate, and they also have very lengthy and comprehensive bibliographies with many books and web sites.

Simpson, Carol. Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide Third Edition. Worthington, Ohio, Linworth Publishing, Inc., 2001.

Inglis, Kari, ed. Ohio Media Spectrum: Quality Library Media Programs, Information Power for Ohio Schools. Columbus, Ohio, The Ohio Educational Library/Media Association, 1999.

www.loc.gov/copyright This site has good explanations and much usable information.

GOOD SOURCES Besenjak, Cheryl. Copyright Plain and Simple Second Edition. Franklin Lakes, NJ, Career Press,

2001. Fishman, Stephen. The Copyright Handbook: How to Protect and Use Written Works Fifth Edition.

Berkely, CA, 2000. Heinich, Robert, ed. Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning. Columbus, Ohio, Merrill

Prentice Hall, 1993. Litman, Jessica. Digital Copyright. Amherst, NY, Prometheus Books, 2001. Strong, William S. The Copyright Book: A Practical Guide Fifth Edition. Cambridge, Massachusetts,

The MIT Press, 1999.

www.copyright.gov This site has circulars with useful information about copyright. www.bitlaw.com/copyright/scope.html www.lii.org Librarians’ Index to the Internet set up and maintained by the Library of

California. www.templeton.com This site was set up by a lawyer and is easy to read. www.benedict.com This site was set up by a lawyer. www.cyberBee.com This is a good site to introduce the idea of copyright and plagiarism to

children. http://ericir.syr.edu This is the site for the LM_NET Archives. It is LOADED with information. www.lexisnexis.com This is a lawyers’ pay site where the law is available in full. www.plagiarism.org More related material.

Timeline Of Copyright History

Timeline Of Copyright History

Early 1700’s, law passed in England to protect authors and publishers to control their work.

Constitution says authors have for limited time exclusive rights to their writings

George Washington passed first US copyright law

1909 Copyright Act – covers anything created before 1978 for up to 75 years with renewals

Rewritten many times – most recently in 1976

Copyright Revision Act 1976, to protect intellectual works or “creative rights”, renews Copyright automatically for life of author plus 50 years

Guidelines for Off-Air Recording - 1981

Fair use guidelines passed by Congress 1997

Digital Millennium Copyright Act – 1998

•Does not hold Online Service Providers responsible for violations committed by users of their service

•Allows libraries to use digital technology to archive and for loaning

Reproduction Adaptation (also known as derivative works) DistributionPerformanceDisplayDigital Audio Transmission

DramaDanceMusicArtProse or poetryLetters, manuscripts, diaries – protected for the life of the author plus 50 years 

What is not protected?What is not protected?•Items in the “Public Domain”

As a general guideline, items are copyright protected for 75 years. It is necessary to check on the status if it has been in publication longer, but for the most part those items are in the public domain.

•“Unfixed” works

•Titles

•Names – Brand names may be protected by trademark

•Short phrases - May be protected by trademark

•Slogans – May be protected by trademark

•Ideas – May be patented

•Facts

•Useful articles – items with utilitarian purposes, for example lamps, chairs, etc.

How Is It Protected?How Is It Protected?

By being “fixed”

•On audio or video tape

•Written down

•Saved to a disk

•Painted

•Otherwise make durable

Since January 1, 1978, everything is automatically protected, it is no longer necessary to have the C in a circle symbol to be copyright protected

Before 1978, check on status

How Do I Check On Status?How Do I Check On Status?

•The Copyright Office will check for a fee

•Hire a search firm

•Search yourself on the internet or Copyright Office files

•Public Domain materials can be found in the Library of Congress

  

How do I use copyright protected materials?How do I use copyright protected materials?Must meet 4 conditions for Fair Use:

•Be a criticism or parody

•News reporting (summary of an article or address)

•Classroom teaching (reproduce a portion of a work to illustrate a lesson)

•Scholarship or research (university applications)

Law does not specify how many words or minutes constitute fair useLaw does not specify how many words or minutes constitute fair useGuidelines endorsed by Congress in 1976 for education – multiple copiesGuidelines endorsed by Congress in 1976 for education – multiple copies•Must be brief

•Spontaneous (inspiration for use would not allow time for permission)•No more than nine instances of multiple copies per semester•Copyright notice on each copy•Copying does not substitute for purchase•Students cannot be charged more than copying fees

Audio/Visual UseAudio/Visual Use

Must be

•A non-profit educational institution

•Only students and teachers present during presentation

•Takes place in a classroom or instructional place

•Directly related to lesson-at-hand

•Showing is made from a legally acquired copy

Can be owned by the school, the teacher or student or a student’s parent, borrowed from a library, rented from a video store or taped off-air following those guidelines.

Can be owned by the school, the teacher or student or a student’s parent, borrowed from a library, rented from a video store or taped off-air following those guidelines.

Beware Infringement!Beware Infringement!

Librarians have been named in suits, Principals as administrative leaders are presumed to be aware of activities in the school.Protect your school by:

•Posting signs by copy machines

•Label videos

•Do not loan equipment to those who you know are planning to pirate

•Certainly, do not show them how

•Have a strong copyright policy

•Make sure staff are trained a responsible

•Give in-service training

Be brief when using copyright protected materials – use only the material you need to make your point.

Be aware of the law!Remember: ignorance of the law is no defense

Be aware of the law!Remember: ignorance of the law is no defense

When in doubt . . . don’t use it! Find something else you are sure of.

Penalties range from $750 to $30,000 per infringement