Copyright for Region 12 Teachers
A Guide to the Ethical Use of Copyrighted Materials
Introduction
Following are guidelines and tools that will help you and your students to be good digital citizens as you create and contribute to our shared culture.
Copyright-Friendly Resources
Creative Commons
ImageQuest
SVS Library LibGuide
What about Fair Use for Educational Purposes?
Fair use is a component of U.S. copyright law that allows LIMITED use of copyrighted material for educational purposes without obtaining permission, purchasing the work, or paying the creator a royalty. Be careful, though, fair use does NOT give you the right to steal!
Frequently Asked Questions from Around the Region
Can I freely use works that are in the public domain?
- YES. Works in the public domain may be used without permission, however they must be cited. To determine if a work is in the public domain, go to the Digital Copyright Slider.
- NO. Although you can use 10% or 30 seconds (whichever is less) of a copyrighted song in a multimedia presentation to be shown in an educational setting, you cannot legally use that song in a video or slideshow presentation that is shown in a public setting or uploaded to YouTube.
Can I videotape the 5th grade play so that parents can have a copy of the performance?
- NO. The only exception is when a contract that allows such filming is negotiated with the publishers of the play (a rare occurrence).
Can the names of students be published online?
- IT DEPENDS. Names of students in grades K through 8 cannot be one-to-one (one child in one photo with first and last name). You are permitted to show groups of students if you do not identify full names of individual students.
Can I use videos for entertainment purposes in the classroom or on field trips?
- YES. Region 12 contracts with Movie Licensing USA, which provides Public Performance Site Licensing to K-12 schools and public libraries on behalf of the major Hollywood motion picture studios.
For more information, contact the Shepaug Valley School Library!
Email: templej@region-12.org
Website: http://svslibrary.region-12.org/home
Location: 159 South Street, Washington, CT, United States
Phone: 860-868-6232
Facebook: facebook.com/svslibrary
Twitter: @svslibrary