Nathan--
I liked your point about cheating and how it relates to copyright infringement; I never would have thought of that. I also highly doubt that anyone would ever get indicted for it, though. Regardless, I think it's an interesting point--one of those things that made me go "hmmm."
As far as all of this copyright and fair use stuff goes, there is absolutely no way I'm going to be able to remember all of it; at least not right off the bat. I imagine that as a seasoned teacher, it might be easier to do so . . . although, on second thought, laws change so much (and so fast), that it might never be possible to keep it all straight. To combat this, I think I'll just find the laws online and double check that what I'm about to do/use will be within the legal limits.
Another thing that I found interesting, and liked, is the fact that the law tackles the "quantity vs. quality" issue. I appreciate that our lawmakers recognize that someone could steal a relatively small portion of a work, but, if it is its most critical point, then that person is guilty of copyright infringement.
One last comment. On the quiz, there was a question about showing a Disney movie for young kids during a Back-to-School night. I understand the points in the articles, but the school wasn't using the video for monetary gain. Why is this considered copyright infringement? It was for the general benefit of the public attending that school event and general benefit of the public is considered Fair Use.
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Erin, I think it was against the law to show the Disney movies because the school district didn't ask for Disney's permission - I think the answer at the end of the quiz said something about paying them $25 for a one-time right to show publicly or something along those lines.
ReplyDeleteThe quiz was really confusing for me, too - most of my answers were a little too on the safe side, which I guess is better than the alternative?
In response to Nathan's main post, I think the most useful part of our readings on copyright were the five rules about Fair Use. They're simply stated, easy to remember and get the point across. They'll definitely come in handy when I'm scouring the internet for obscure French resources to share with my students.
I agree with Amanda about taking home the five most important rules for Fair Use. These rules are not necessarily in line with intuition so having a list of rules handy when incorporating technology or any intellectual property in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs far as missing questions on the quiz, erring on the side of caution with your answers is the better mistake to make. Until one has a strong grasp of the laws associated with copy rights and fair use, one should be an eternal skeptic. If it might be illegal in the classroom, don't do it!
The copyright laws seem to protect teachers the most, so we should be able to use what we deem "fair use." I've been thinking that if the use of some copyrighted material keeps someone from making money they could have, then it is not fair use. That is where the Disney example comes into play the most. The parents of the children may have actually bought the movie and showing the kids at a school function may keep the parents from buying the movie. The same is true in the classroom, if your students would potentially pay money for the material you want to use, you should pay for it too.
ReplyDeleteThe fair use stipulations I agree with the most is same one Erin likes. It is important to take into consideration what is being taken from the creator.
I found the idea of parody as fair use a bit odd and I also wonder why the law is open to so much interpretation by the courts. Maybe it is about time for some new laws to go with the new digital times.