1. Four Common Criterion Courts Use to Determine Fair Use/ Example of Material Used for Educational Purposes that is protected by Fair Use
1.1. There are four common criterion that courts use to determine Fair Use. They are as follows: the Purpose for the use of the material, the nature of the copyrighted material, the total portion of copyright material taken from the original piece, and the effect the material in question is intended to have on the specific audience.
1.2. An example of material used for educational purposes that that is protected by Fair Use would be incorporating films (movies and/or television series clips) into the classroom. While under some circumstances, reproduction of films and TV episodes may infringe on copyright laws. Educators have the right to show these films for educational purposes.
2. What is Fair Use?
2.1. Fair Use is an exception to the standard or traditional copyright laws. The Fair Use law allows for limited use of copyrighted material without having to receive the original author's permission to use their work.
3. What is Standard Copyright?
3.1. The standard copyright enforces that when an original piece of work is created, all rights of that work remain with the author who created it. Therefore, no reproduction of the original work may be reproduced under any circumstance without the author's consent, as the author holds full ownership over their work.
4. What is Creative Commons
4.1. This is a nonprofit organization that assists with copyright licensing, allowing authors to share information of their original work with the public while still complying with the use of copyright laws. Authors have control over how much of their work they would like the public to have access to. Because of this, a person does not need permission from the author to use a piece of material under the Creative Commons License - since permission has already been granted.
5. Why is Fair Use important for educators?
5.1. Fair Use is important for educators because it allows teachers access to materials that the general public is not normally allowed access to. Through Fair Use, teachers have the ability to incorporate things such films, articles, and music that are protected under the copyright laws. Fair Use allows teachers to have access to many materials and can help make the classroom a more engaging experience for their students.
6. How can educators stay updated on Fair Use and copyright laws?
6.1. Teachers can stay updated on Fair Use and copyright laws through the use of professional development within their staff community by providing support to one-another, as well as through the use of online learning networks. Teachers can now also gain access to other educators across the world through the social networking (such as educationally related Twitter and Blog sites) to keep up to date on Fair Use and copyright laws. By staying in touch, teachers will always be on top of any changes in the laws.
