Copyright Basics for Teachers

Open Educational Resources (OER) We use cookies to give you the best experience and to help improve our website. How we use cookies. Thanks for letting me know Open Educational Resources (OER) Explore this resource site—a collection of all EDUCAUSE resources related to open educational resources (OER) in higher education.

Creative Commons Australia Teachers and students can freely use Creative Commons licenced material and can apply Creative Commons licences by using the licence tool to material they create. This allows sharing of resources with other educators and schools. The main focus is on what you CAN do with the material rather than what you cannot do. Creative Commons for Education fact sheets Copyright in General (FAQ) What is copyright? Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. What does copyright protect?

8 infographics about public domain and copyright This collection of infographics will let you learn about the current state of copyright law. The internet, especially now, in its social media phase, forces copyright laws to meet the evolving habits and expectations of internet users. What’s the best solution that could satisfy both sides: the copyright holder, and the user? The extremes are out of the equation. More Information on Fair Use Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. Section 107 of the Copyright Act provides the statutory framework for determining whether something is a fair use and identifies certain types of uses—such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research—as examples of activities that may qualify as fair use. Section 107 calls for consideration of the following four factors in evaluating a question of fair use: Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes: Courts look at how the party claiming fair use is using the copyrighted work, and are more likely to find that nonprofit educational and noncommercial uses are fair. In addition to the above, other factors may also be considered by a court in weighing a fair use question, depending upon the circumstances.

Australian Libraries Copyright Committee Factsheets | Publications | Presentations | Briefing papers | Useful links Factsheets Do you have copyright questions? Stumped by a client request or trying to determine the copyright status of a manuscript? Worried the signs next to the photocopiers are the wrong size? Then read on! Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright skip navigation Library of Congress Teachers Suggestions enabled. Fair Use Frequently Asked Questions What is fair use? The Copyright Act gives copyright holders the exclusive right to reproduce works for a limited time period. Fair use is a limitation on this right. Fair use allows people other than the copyright owner to copy part or, in some circumstances, all of a copyrighted work, even where the copyright holder has not given permission or objects.

Fair Use and Public Domain Exceptions and limitations to copyright are special cases defined by law where the general principle that the prior authorization of the rightsholder is necessary to make use of a work does not apply. That is, in the public interest of maintaining a balance between the interests of rightsholders and those of content users, copyright-protected works may in some cases be used without the authorization of the rightsholder. Generally, exceptions and limitations to copyright are subject to a three-step test initially set out in the Berne Convention and repeated in a number of other international agreements.