Know your Rights! (Copyrights, that is...)

Copyright ©...

We've all seen this symbol. You know.. The little C nestled inside the slightly larger circle..

As educators, we will most likely share material with our students. Here's the thing..

If you don't have permission from the owner of the material, it may be illegal to show or share it!

Here's the GOOD NEWS:

There are ways around sharing works that have copyrights, but you have to know the rules.

Fair Uses

According to the very knowledgeable, Denise Landry-Hyde, Library Extraordinaire at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Fair Use 'gives us, as educators some latitude, to use the material in our teaching and  learning. Most teachers access the information to educate their students rather than use the material for financial gain.  This allows educators to use copyrighted material without obtaining permission.'  

4  factors should be considered when determining if a use is fair use:

1. Purpose and character: The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. Nature of copyrighted work: The nature of the copyrighted work;
3. Amount used: The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. Market effect: The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Guess what? I can use the video above by giving Renee Hobbs, the creator, credit!!

Sharing information with your students can be a great tool, but you just have to know how!