Is it okay to copy information such as words and pictures from a book, a CD-ROM, or the Internet?
Do I need to get permission to link to someone's website?
How can I tell if a student has copied their report from the web?
Have you ever written a story, created a work of art, or composed a song? If so, you have created intellectual property. Written works, photographs, artwork, and music are a few of the many products that people create from information and ideas. Many people enjoy sharing their intellectual property with others. However, they may want to get credit for their hard work.
Copyright is the right to use ideas or information created by someone else. The copyright law is intended to protect the rights of content developers and describes restrictions that can be placed on copying materials. In other words, if you create information, you should get credit. This credit can come in the form of money if you sell the information in a book, CD, or subscription Internet service. In some cases, people aren't concerned about money, but they want to make certain that their name or organization is associated with the information. In other words, many educators are willing to share information for free, but they
In a global community
such as the Internet, the laws become an issue. For
example, the copyright laws in different countries
vary. In the US, the copyright law contains a "fair
use" section that gives people some flexibility to use
and share information. Keep in mind that people
interpret the laws differently. Interpretation of the
laws regarding sharing of music is the basis for the
Napster debate. Many people have inaccurate
information about the copyright law. Check out the Copyright
Myths to see
if you know the facts.
You need to know the laws to protect you, your students, and the developers of Internet content. What's the law? What's your responsibility? Start your exploration by reading a great article on copyright at Education World. Students of all ages needs to know the copyright laws.
Consider designing activities for Copyright Awareness Week in March.
Try the Copyright Interactive from Cyberbee. How did you do?
Copyleft is a recent term used to describe the removal of restrictions on the use of ideas and information. People who wish to share their materials can use the copyleft license to allow others to reproduce, adapt, and distribute copies of their work. Rather than placing materials in the public domain without restriction, copyleft groups such as Creative Commons and GNU General Public License provide a range of open source options.
Student Fairs and Projects
What rules and laws govern the use of materials in student projects? Use the following materials to help you understand your role and responsibility.
- Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Student Project (PDF) from Kathy Schrock
Mashups, Collages, and Derivative Works
Students often use the work of others as inspiration or as part of a larger work such as an electronic scrapbook. Be sure young people are aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Read Visual Arts Cases - Derivatives by Monica Corton and Nancy Wolff to learn more about the issues of derivative works created by students.
Use the following websites to become a better informed information user.
US Copyright Guidelines and the Law
- Library of Congress - US Copyright Office
- Copyright Law - the actual law
- Distance Learning and the TEACH Act - ALA - laws that apply the copyright law to teaching
- US Copyright Office from Library of Congress
- The Copyright Website
- The Copyright Website
- Copyright and Fair Use from Stanford
- PBS TeacherSource: Copyright from PBS
- RIP Respect for Intellectual Property by Kathy Schrock
Copyright and Media
- Analyzing Opinions on Music Downloads - an interactive that helps students analyze information
- Copyright Kids from Copyright Society of the USA
- Copyright for Students from NCWiseOwl - answers basic questions about what can be copied
- Debating Music Downloads - an interactive that explores the issue of music downloads
- Define the Line from the Business Software Alliance
- Download Legal - focuses on illegal file-swapping
- Fair Use Travelogue - an interactive that takes you through evaluating websites related to copyright
- US Patent and Trademark Office - patent, trademark, and copyright information
- Campaigning for Fair Use: Public Service Announcements on Copyright Awareness (6-8) from ReadWriteThink
- Copyright Infringement or Not? The Debate over Downloading Music (9-12) from ReadWriteThink
- Copyright Crusader to the Rescue - Curriculum and Teacher Guide (PDF)
- Improving on the Original (6-8) from EconEdLink
- Join the C Team - K-12 resources that encourage creativity and respect for intellectual property
Copyright Lessons and Educator Resources
Internet Links and
Students and teachers creating web projects are faced with an interesting issue related to linking to information. If you're creating a list of popular websites are you allowed to link to these websites or do you need to get permission? Is it okay to link to other people's websites? Read the article on Linking Rights for a nice discussion of the issues.
There may be times
when you want to get permission to use an excerpt of
text or a photograph from a book, CD, or Internet
site. How do you get permission? What kinds of rules
do you need to set up in your school? The following
websites contain ideas and guidelines:
If you'd like more information, consider taking the online CyberBee Copyright Workshop. Remember the following three tips:
- If in doubt, get permission
- When sharing outside the classroom, get permission
- Integrate copyright issues into student assignments
Explore Copyright Issues
Let's use the analogy of visiting an art museum. It's okay to give directions to a museum, but it's not okay to steal the artwork. Some museums loan out their artwork or let you take a copy home. However, you'd need permission to do this. Although there may be many entrances into the building, the museum may request that you only enter through the front door. Some museums charge an entry fee while others are free. Discuss this analogy. Does it fit the Internet? Can you add other aspects that reflect both a museum and the Internet?
Can you think of another analogy that fits?
Create a set of copyright guidelines for your school. Include a standard permissions request form.