There’s a lot to learn in this post so remember to bookmark it and use the menu below to navigate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCopyright Rules To Remember<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What Is Copyright?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What Is Fair Use<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What Is Public Domain?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What Is Creative Commons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Finding Creative Commons Images<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Copyright And Music<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Copyright And Video<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Copyright Text Or Curriculum Materials<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Copyright Infringement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Copyright Considerations When Publishing Online<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Using Quotes In Blog Posts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Adding Your Own Creative License<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Conclusion And Summary Slideshow<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Let’s get started with the basics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s begin with the 5 main rules you need to remember about copyright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1)<\/strong> Just because you found it online, doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s free to use (even if you\u2019re a teacher or student).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2)<\/strong> There are a lot of resources you can use freely including work that has a Creative Commons license or is in the public domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) <\/strong>You have a right as a creator to have your work protected from copying and you can also give your own content a Creative Commons license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4)<\/strong> If in doubt about using content, ask the creator for permission, find a free alternative, make your own material, or purchase an alternative that has the usage rights you’re after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5)<\/strong> Instead of looking for loopholes, consider whether you\u2019re being the most responsible and ethical digital citizen you can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want a poster for your classroom or staffroom? Download a letter-sized poster of the 5 rules to remember here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Copyright is a form of legal protection offered to creators by default. That means, in many countries (like the USA and Australia), you don’t have to register your work to have it protected by copyright. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some creators do register their work with the U.S. Copyright Office<\/a> (or the equivalent in their own country). Usually, this is to provide strong evidence to a court that the creator is the copyright holder if there is ever an infringement case. You don’t need to have registered your work with the Copyright Office in order to pursue a copyright infringement case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a myth that you have to display a copyright symbol \u00a9 to protect your work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can Others Use Your Copyrighted Work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re a copyright owner, someone else can’t copy your work without your permission. They also can’t perform the work, distribute copies of the work, display the work publicly, or create derivatives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone does use work that’s protected by copyright without permission, that’s called copyright infringement. We’ll cover this later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who Owns The Copyright?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, the creator of a work is the copyright owner but the copyright can also be sold, traded, or inherited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Does Copyright Cover?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Copyright covers both published and unpublished works that are tangible in format. So, all tangible original work is protected by copyright whether it’s a blog post, music, artwork, photo, play, poem, novel, dance choreography, movie, software, architecture, or more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Copyright does not protect works that are not tangible, like facts or ideas. Copyright only protects the tangible expression of your ideas. So you might have a great idea for a blog post about teaching 5th grade math but unless you actually write the post, you can’t protect the idea that’s floating around in your head. And you can’t stop others from writing about the same idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read more about the basics of copyright on the U.S. Copyright Office website<\/a> (or on your own country’s official site). There are some variations between countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So now you understand that most of the work you’re accessing online or in books is going to be protected by copyright (images, text, videos, music, and more). This means you can’t necessarily use these materials freely on your class blog, website, or with your students in your classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “But fair use applies here doesn’t it”, I hear you ask? Because you’re using images, text, videos, or music for educational purposes, that’s okay, right? Teachers and students don’t have to worry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not necessarily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The more you dig in to the topic of fair use, the more you come to realize it is a gray area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the U.S. Copyright Office<\/a> explains, The Classroom Use Exemption 17 U.S.C. \u00a7110(1) allows you to use copyrighted material when you meet certain criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For “fair use” to apply, the copyrighted material must be used:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re teaching online or wanting to hand out copies of work, then you may not be covered by this exemption. Furthermore, these fair use laws are specific to the U.S. so if you’re in another country, you may not be covered. Some countries don’t have a fair use law or they may be more specific or broad than the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, in Australia, there is \u201cFair Dealing<\/a>\u201d which is an exception to copyright infringement that’s a little more specific than in the U.S. You may be able to use portions of copyright material without permission for the purpose of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, fair use isn’t as simple as it seems, right? Instead of trying to find loopholes with fair use, a better approach is to look for materials that you can use freely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best place to start is with public domain or Creative Commons materials. So let’s dig into that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, in the U.S.<\/a>, copyright lasts for the life of the author plus seventy years after the author\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens to work after the copyright expires? Well, it becomes part of the public domain. Works can also enter the public domain if they are factual (e.g. charts or calendars), they are published before a certain date, or a creator has assigned their work to the public domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When something is in the public domain it means the work is owned by the public and you don\u2019t have to get permission to use it. This is great for educators looking for materials they can freely use with their students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many places online where you can find books, images, audio, and videos that are in the public domain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some popular choices for public domain materials include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes creators (copyright holders) are happy for others to use their work, as long as they meet certain conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A creator can place a Creative Commons license on their work which describes the terms of using, modifying, and sharing the works. A simple license removes the hassle of others having to ask the creator for permission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Creative Commons<\/a> is an international organization that made this system possible. The mission <\/a>of the Creative Commons organization is clear,<\/p>\n\n\n\n By helping people and organizations share knowledge and creativity, we aim to build a more equitable, accessible, and innovative world.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n If a creator decides to attach a Creative Commons license to their work, there are six Creative Commons licenses to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See this post <\/a>about copyright and Creative Commons that includes a poster to simplify the licenses.<\/p>\n\n\n If you’d like to learn more about Creative Commons licenses, the video below<\/a> by McLaughlin Library is a good place to start. You can learn more about Creative Commons Licenses on the official website of the organization<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.theedublogger.com\/files\/2020\/06\/Dexter-the-cat-Icons-20-1024x1024.png\"){kind=icon}
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCopyright Rules To Remember<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat Is Copyright?<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat Is Fair Use?<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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What Is The Public Domain?<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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What Is Creative Commons?<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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