Copyright Law “The genius of United States copyright law is that, in conformance with its constitutional foundation, it balances the intellectual property interests of authors, publishers and copyright owners with society's need for the free exchange of ideas.” -Justice Sandra Day O'Conner Photo source:

Copyright Laws Explained What is Copyright? –The law that protects the works of authors, artists, composers, and developers from being used without the creators permission. –Name some examples of copyrighted items. If you can see it, hear it, and/or touch it – it may be protected. If it can be set on paper, recorded on tape, or saved on a hard drive, it may be protected. Copyright laws grant the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, prepare additional works, distribute, perform and display the work publicly.

Common Copyright Questions

Q. Can I use copyrighted material for school projects? A. Apply Fair Use. Fair use laws state that you can use a limited amount for educational use. Ask these questions: Does it have a nonprofit educational purpose? What kind of material do you want to use? Are you using a small portion? Motion media – 10% or up to 3 minutes Text – 10% or up to 1000 words Music and Lyrics – 10% or up to 30 seconds Will your use deprive the author from making money?

Q. What is public domain? A. Works that are not copyrighted. You still need to give credit to the source and not claim it as yours. Q. If it does not have the © symbol is it public domain? A. Not necessarily, you need to read the fine print. Almost everything on the Web is copyrighted. It is always best to assume it is copyrighted unless it states that it is free to the public domain. ©

Q. What is attribution? A. Giving credit to the source of a photograph, sound recording, motion picture, or document. –If in doubt, write and ask for permission to use a photograph, sound, or graphic. Make the subject line “Permission to use”.

Q. What are the penalties for copyright infringement? A. In this class – a zero or reduced grade based upon the amount copyrighted. B. In college – failure and possible expulsion. C. In life – large fines or prison terms up to 10 years. Note: Ignorance of the law is not a defense.