Teacher Copyrights and Copy Wrongs: Part I

As a busy teacher who imparts a sense of assignment and teacher immediacy, you likely include many contemporary articles as well as the use of intellectual property found throughout the Net.  You may have developed PowerPoint slide show with pictures from Websites or shown movies to better connect the learning outcomes while gaining the attention of your students. However, just because you cite such material it might not mean you have permission to use it. By Erik Bean

The assumption is that because academicians are in the business of educating that any material found is fair game for use, but not in every case.  For example, for the most part, if you are employed by a public school system, the answer is typically yes, the material can be freely used. The reason is that non-profits can utilize such material for learning purposes because they do not necessarily profit from it. 

However, if you work for a private institute or one that is categorized as a for-profit (possibly a charter, academy, online college, or magnet school), the answer is no. As a profit centered business, the majority of your assignment material is expected to be generated by you unless you purchased it. The conundrum is that while your organization is in the business of education it is important to include knowledge from a variety of sources so students ultimately benefit from homogenous information with varying viewpoints. If you are a for-profit, before distributing such homogenous material to your students, you must obtain written permission to show a complete movie or pass out an entire article. 

You will want to check with your school’s legal department even when using social media. Again, depending on how your institute is organized, you’ll want to stay informed regarding permissions. Organizations such as the American Society of Media Photographers offer useful information regarding social media use. The United States Copyright Office provides a 24-page PDF detailed paper regarding fair use of materials by educators. 

Finally, check with the United States Creative Commons organization for important information regarding educational materials use in your classroom. Take the time to understand how your institute’s structure and use of classroom materials is affected by copyright. A little time invested today, could save much unnecessary litigation time tomorrow.  In Part II of my Teacher copyrights and copy wrongs blog, I will discuss how to protect your own materials and what rights you have within and/or outside of your classroom for ownership.