Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines What we can and can’t do. By Sandy Peel

Does a work need a copyright symbol to be protected by copyright laws? No

Any original work created: printed text, photo or film, piece of music, or web page is automatically copyrighted, and remains protected for 70 years after the author’s death.

A 1976 law allows for “Fair Use”. Fair use of a copy-righted work, including reproduction.. For purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. Fair Use in the Classroom

1. What is the purpose and Character of Use? If it is for personal or educational use, then it’s probably fair use. If the intended purpose is for commercial use, it leans away from fair use and towards the need to obtain permission from the author. Four Fair Use Guidelines: Ask Yourself….

2. What is the Nature of the Copyrighted Work? If the original work is mostly factual data, then the tendency is to allow for fair use. If the original is mostly creative work, it probably is not. Four Fair Use Guidelines Ask Yourself…

3. What Amount and Substantial Portion of the Copyrighted Work do you plan to use? If it’s just a small portion of the work you’re borrowing, the balance tips toward fair use. If you plan to use a significant amount of the original, the scale tips in the other direction. Four Fair Use Guidelines Ask Yourself…

4. What may be the Effect upon Potential Market or Value of the Copyrighted Work? If you widely distribute your paper or Web page, will it affect the original author financially? Are you taking away the original author’s business by publishing your work? Four Fair Use Guidelines Ask Yourself…

Recognizes and protects rights of creators while allowing certain uses of copyrighted material. You can use the following search engine to help in copyright issues: Creative Commons

US National Archives Library of Congress Art Image Consortium Works in Public Domain

Good rule of thumb Always cite work whether copyrighted or not Use material you create yourself.