copy right and fair use

Tangible media that can be protected through a copyright include songs, movies, books and artwork. Since copyrighted works are protected, they often require special permission or licensing for use with groups, including classrooms.

Fair use permits the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. Teaching is an activity that qualifies as fair use. When determining fair use, four factors should be considered,

  1. the purpose and character of the use;
  2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
  3. the amount and substantiality of the portion use in relation to the whole work; and
  4. the effect of the use upon the potential market.

The right to show video in the classroom doesn’t rely on fair use. In fact, there is a separate part of copyright law that lets teachers show video in class. However, consider these four points. You can show video:

    1. During face-to-face teaching
    2. When viewed in a classroom or other place of instruction
    3. With a lawfully made copy
    4. As a regular part of instruction and directly related to content being taught

Copyright & Fair Use Resources

copyright.gov
This is the U.S. Copyright Office website. You can learn just about anything you want to know about the copyright law and its history. Be sure to check out the Education section.

UMUC Library
The University of Maryland, University College Library discusses copyright, fair use, and Creative Commons on the Get Help section of their website.

Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers
This PDF resource was created by Hall Davidson. It is a great reference for teachers when it comes to fair use and the variety of mediums we use in the classroom. The downloads section of his website has a great selection of copyright resources.

Copyright and Intellectual Property
Kathy Schrock’s website is always a great resource for educators. She has a section all about copyright and intellectual property with resources for classroom use and educator learning.

Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media offers a free, K-12 digital citizenship curriculum. Creative Credit/Copyright is one of the eight topics the lessons focus on. These lessons are a great way to help students become positive, productive digital citizens.

Media Education Lab
This is a good resource for media literacy education. Teachers can find a variety of teacher resources focus on media literacy, including copyright, as well as professional development opportunities.

Netflix in Class?

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-10-24-can-you-show-netflix-in-class-copyright-for-teachers-made-simple

The right to show video in the classroom doesn’t rely on fair use. In fact, there is a separate part of copyright law that lets teachers show video in class. However, consider these four points. You can show video:

  1. During face-to-face teaching
  2. When viewed in a classroom or other place of instruction
  3. With a lawfully made copy
  4. As a regular part of instruction and directly related to content being taught

a teacher wanting to show a Netflix movie would have to log into Netflix using a personal account. The user agreement the individual agreed to when he or she created the Netflix account prohibits showing movies in a public venue, which may be a contract violation. (However, Netflix does permit the showing of some documentaries in class.)

Don’t let that discourage you. Ask your librarian

European Parliament Copyright Law

MEPs approve sweeping changes to copyright law

European copyright directive passed despite campaigning led by Google and internet freedom activists

Tue 26 Mar 2019 

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/mar/26/meps-approve-sweeping-changes-to-copyright-law-european-copyright-directive

A controversial directive introducing sweeping changes to copyright enforcement across Europe has been approved by the European parliament, despite ferocious campaigning led by Google and internet freedom activists.

referred to as the “link tax” and “upload filter”
the “link tax”, includes new requirements aimed at making companies like Google pay licensing fees to publications such as newspapers whose work gets aggregated in services like Google News.
Publishers and artists have pushed for the clauses, arguing that they would put an end to widespread infringement on sites such as YouTube and Instagram, while companies including Google and Amazon have attacked the measure as unworkable in practice, and overbearing to the extent that it may force them to close services in Europe.

Popular YouTubers including Philip DeFranco and FBE have run videos attacking the directive, as have Twitch streamers. The Amazon subsidiary even put together a livestream featuring European legislators playing Mario Kart as they talked about the harm the legislation could do.

The campaigning reached such a level that many younger social media users ended up believing the internet would be deleted in Europe the day the legislation passed

Catherine Stihler, the chief executive of the Open Knowledge Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which pushes for open data, said the vote was “a massive blow for every internet user in Europe. MEPs have rejected pleas from millions of EU citizens to save the internet, and chose instead to restrict freedom of speech and expression online.