Copyright Tips for Teachers

Jonna Carper

While many teachers have a vague awareness of what copyright means, few fully understand it. Failure to comply with the Copyright Law can lead you and your school into legal trouble as well as provide a poor testimony to your students (see Matthew 22:21 and Romans 2:21). The following are some guidelines to keep in mind when using copyrighted materials.

Print

1. For personal research, you may make a copy of an article from a journal or a chapter from a book.
2. You may make copies of timely articles for all students in your class provided
1. The copies are for only one course and one term (not from term to term).
2. No more than three are from the same periodical during one class term.
3. You do not exceed nine instances of multiple copying in one term.
3. Because many syndicated cartoon characters (like Disney and Peanuts characters) are trademarked, they may not be copied under fair use guidelines. There are no fair use guidelines for trademarked materials.
4. Workbook pages may never be duplicated—even worn-out dittos.

Video

1. Must be used as part of classroom instruction. Without purchasing public performance rights (ask at time of purchase), you may not show videos for entertainment.
2. Can be shown to an audience of students, teachers, and/or guest lecturers. Without public performance rights, you may not show videos to a group including parents.
3. Recording of off-air broadcast television has specific guidelines. You may
1. Record from only broadcast programs (free to the general public).
2. Use the recording within the next 10 consecutive school days. After that time you may keep the recording for a total of 45 days to determine whether you wish to pursue rights to retain or purchase a copy. After 45 days, you must either purchase or erase the video.
3. Use only in a nonprofit educational institution.
4. Some cable channels, like the Discovery channel, provide additional rights to educators.

Audiovisual

1. It is not permissible to make an archival copy of a copyrighted work to circulate to students in order to preserve the original.
2. While copying an audio CD to audio tape for personal use at home may be permissible, such change of format copying is not permitted in the educational setting.

Computer

1. You may make one archival copy of software and keep the original on file.
2. Software licensed for single use may be used on only one machine. In order to use software on a network, you must purchase a network or site license.
3. Most Internet materials are copyrighted. Fair use guidelines are still being formulated for Internet materials, so it is best to ask permission before using materials you find there.

In General

1. Ask. Most copyright owners are willing to work with educators, but you cannot assume rights other than those granted by the fair use guidelines.
2. Always provide a copyright notice on any materials you use.
3. For further information, check the following web sites:

• http://fairuse.stanford.edu
• http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

Reprinted from Teacher to Teacher, June 1999.

Used with permission from BJU Press. For permission to reproduce this article, please write BJU Press.