Fair Use
What is Fair Use?
Fair Use is basically the copying of copyrighted material with some consideration to allowable terms. The copying is done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Permission is not needed from the copyright owner.
Why should teachers &
staff care about Fair Use?
So how do you know if it is okay to use something in the classroom? The rule of thumb with Fair Use depends on how much you are using and for what purpose. Does it harm the creator in a financial way?
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Common examples of Fair Use in the classroom setting include:
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Song Parady
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Quoting an article in a news report
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Coping a class set of a portion of a magazine article to critique
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Copying a few paragraphs from a newspaper article for students to summarize.
Why should students care
about Fair Use?
A large part of being a good student is knowing when you can and can not use materials that have a copyright. You are allowed to use a limited portion of a piece of work as an example for a larger piece of work. It is illegal to sample the entire story, song, etc because it takes away from money that would have gone to the creator of the work. Plagiarism is the representation of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work. Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and a breach of ethics...not to mention it can get you kicked out of school or a failing grade!
More About Fair Use
