ELRC 4507 Blog Post #3: Copyright & Fair Use

 What is copyright?

Copyright is a law that protects the content creator’s original work.  This realm encompasses anything from entertainment (music, film, television, YouTube, etc.) to artwork (illustration, animation, photography, etc.).  When a product is under copyright law, a barrier is created to protect the work and no one else has the right to use it without first notifying the creator.  Copyright laws values the economic system of the creator’s original work so they can distribute (copy, sell, modify, display) it as they please.  According the UMGC Guidelines (2020) , there are three things to address for content to be copyrighted:  fixation, originality, and minimal creativity. 

The ease of the internet makes copying, pasting, and downloading easy actions anyone can perform without thinking about the legalities behind it.  Therefore, digital literacy is an important topic to practice as digital learning tools are being integrated more into the classroom.  Teachers and students can use copyrighted content for education if they cite and recognize where the work is from.  Personally, I have learned a very beneficial skill to comply with copyright laws by adding filters for image searches on Google through creative commons licenses.    

What is fair use?

Fair use is when someone uses a small part of copyrighted work without permission.  However, this only applies to schoolwork and education, news reporting, criticizing or commenting, or comedy or parody.  The material must be used responsibly.  When showcasing small parts such as music samples, film/television clips, or cropped pieces from an image—so long as the way it is portrayed in a re-imagined way, all of these are protected by fair use.  The UMGC Guidelines (2020) recognizes four factors for compliance in fair use:  purpose, nature of copyrighted work, amount, and effect on market. 

As digital transformation occurs in education, student-driven learning is being pursued as a top priority.   Educators are shifting towards facilitating teaching instead of directing teaching.  Fair use can be exhibited in the classroom setting by educators introducing a topic.  By following the regulations of utilizing fair use, content material can be provided to the class and then from there develop a lesson around it.  This aligns with ISTE standards for students and educators because it can create discussions and lead to projects, research, or assignments and activities to complete lesson objectives for the curriculum.      

What are the permissible amounts of copyrighted information that can be used by teachers/students?

For education purposes, according to the UMGC Guidelines (2020), their institution recommends not to rely on fair use for core content in classrooms.  Though a case by case basis, it should still be discussed with administration departments prior.  Sharing content is so quick and easy with the push of a button.  The biggest message from reading about copyright and fair use is to give credit to the creator.  Following these simple guidelines of checking who owns material, getting permission, giving credit to the author, purchasing items if necessary, and using it responsibly will ensure that copyright and fair use are in effect.