Faculty Copyright Guide
As an educator, have you ever copied and pasted an image from Google, distributed photocopies from a book, or created a unit using a variety of online sources? If you answered yes, then you're obviously trying to create engaging learning experiences for your students! But you might also be committing copyright infringement. As an educator, you are allowed some leeway, but it's important to know exactly what you can and can't do in the classroom, and how to model ethical use of information for students.
Copyright Law
Copyright is the legal right given to a creator for exclusive control of how a work is used, in order to protect their right to compensation as well as their reputation. Though copyright laws vary around the world, the internet has created one global community, making it important to educate ourselves and our students on the basics.
Fair Use Guidelines
Fair Use was created to allow the use of copyrighted works for the following reasons: criticism and commentary, parody, news reporting, research, scholarship, and classroom instruction. Consider these four factors when applying fair use: purpose of the use, nature of the copyrighted work, amount of the work used, and the effect upon the market value of the work. This helpful chart provides guidelines for using different types of media.
Teacher Responsibilities
Educators are allowed to use copyrighted material in the following situations: face-to-face instruction, directed self-study, real-time remote instruction, teaching courses (same material for 2-years), presentations at conferences, and job interviews or tenure reviews. Be sure to always follow fair use guidelines and to cite sources.
Teachers also have the responsibility to ensure that students understand their responsibilities in following copyright law and practicing ethical use of information.
Feel free to use the information below, or contact your librarian to request classroom instruction on these topics.
Student Responsibilities
Students are allowed to use copyrighted materials in the following situations: educational uses in the course for which they were created, portfolios of their academic work, and job and graduate school interviews. Students must know how to:
Understand copyright laws and the benefit to society and to themselves.
Observe fair use guidelines.
Locate materials in the Creative Commons or the Public Domain.
Ask a creator for permission to use a copyrighted work.
Cite sources correctly using an academic format.
Copyright & Fair Use
Fair use allows for use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes; however this doesn't allow for completely unrestricted access. Use this Fair Use chart to determine acceptable usage.
Requesting Permission
When appropriate, request permission from a creator. Try this sample copyright permission request:
Dear [Name],
I am a student/staff member at [name of school]. I would like to use [specific description of material] in the following manner [specific description of how the material will be used]. If you hold the copyright to this material, may I have your permission to use material in this way? If you grant permission, I will properly reference your ownership by [describe your citation method]. If possible, please respond by [date]. Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
[Name]
The Creative Commons & Public Domain
Instead of using Google to locate media, have your students try Creative Commons or Public Domain sites.
The Creative Commons is a way for creators to give permission for others to use their work according to certain rules (called licenses). There are many CC search sites, but two good ones for school are:
Public Domain occurs when creative works are too old to be protected by copyright law, they then become available for use by the general public. Add the words “royalty free” to a Google search or try this easy site:
Citing Sources & Avoiding Plagiarism
We cite sources to show academic participation and demonstrate integrity. Consult these sites to assist with using citation styles in your classroom: