Why do we have Copyright Laws?

What is Copyright? Copyright is the right to use ideas or information created by someone else. The copyright law is intended to protect the rights of artists, composers, authors, and others and describes restrictions that can be placed on copying materials. In other words, if you create information, you should get credit.

What does the law look like? The law is so large you will have to click on this site to view: Copyright Law :

Is everything copyrighted? Almost everything. Some information is Public Domain. This means that you may use it without it being copyrighted but it is still a good idea to credit your source. Many government sites are Public Domain so that students can use the information.

Is there a limit to the material I can use? There is a limit. It is called Fair Use. Usually you can use about 10% of a song, poem, story, article, or other work.

How do I know something is copyrighted? Well, almost everything is. Look for the c Let’s look at two web sites and find the copyright information. Kennard Google

Do I have to remember the whole law???? NO. Just remember that if someone else created the work, they need to get the credit. The owner must grant permission for their work to be reproduced.

What is it called when I give the person credit? The proper word is attribution. It means giving credit to the person who created the work. Who’s going to know if you don’t give credit? » YOU!!!! » Being honest is part of being respectful!

How do I give credit? When you are writing a paper or report you will learn to cite your source. It will look like this: Ganeri, A. (1990). Ocean Facts. London: Usborne Publications. Hamilton, S. (1988). R.M.S. Titanic. Bloomington: Abado and Daughters. Heiligman, D. (1998). The Story of the Titanic. New York: Random House.

Now it’s your turn. You will: 1. check out these web sites 2. find the copyright information 3. write the information on a sheet of paper

PBS kids Wise Owl Animal Planet

Early finishers may click on this zoo site and work quietly on the world tour. National Zoo World Tour