|
Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright
Q: Can I show a film to my class to reward them for doing well?
A: Teachers may not show films copyrighted for home use to students just for pleasure or as a reward. Home use videos may only be shown in the classroom setting for instruction. Home use films (videos, DVDs) may also not be shown by caretakers in a school environment (like in an after school program). However, in the same way that students may read books and magazines or listen to CDs after school, students may check out videos or bring them from home for viewing after school.
If a teacher or an administrator or a student wishes to show a video copyrighted for home use only to a group like a school assembly, there are two legal ways to do it: purchase a copy with public performance rights (it will be more expensive, but infinitely cheaper than a lawsuit), or the teacher or administrator or student may request permission for the performance in writing from the owner of the video rights (usually the distributor). This usually entails a relatively modest fee if no admission will be charged, and for educational institutions. Example: to show the film Gandhi to the school, one would have to pay a flat fee of $75.00. [2003 figures]
A: You must seek permission from the owner of the copyright to make the copy you need. Very often this is granted at no cost! The request is easy; the only negative to this action is that the answer is not always received in a timely fashion. You must plan early! You may also be lucky enough to find a copy of what you need on the Internet, provided by a source that is certain to have the rights to use the material. Then you can link the url for this source to your or the library's web page as an electronic reserve. Example: two Faulkner stories are linked to the summer reading list. They are provided by Big Chalk, which has certainly paid for the privilege. Note that you, as a teacher, cannot simply make twenty copies of each story and hand them out to your students. Any copies that are made must be made by individual students.
You can also buy several copies of any book that contains the material you wish to use, and place them on reserve for your students.
A: You may not legally change items from one format to another-even if the item is not available in the more modern format. What you do in the privacy of your home is, at least for the moment, your business. But, though lamentable, the law forbidding copying from one format to another does apply at school, and to teachers and administrators, staff and students. Transferring from one medium to another is illegal copying.
It is always appropriate to write to the copyright holder for permission to copy these items.
A: The short answer is the same rules apply for paper or audiovisual reserves. The advantage is that an article, chart, poem, chapter of a book, etc. can be digitized and can thus become an electronic resource available from home or after library hours. It involves making only one copy, which is legal for libraries to do, and students are well-served, as they are free to make a personal copy for themselves or simply read it online. Note: using electronic reserves at BMS involves giving library time to scan and reduce, or do so yourself and send the file to the library!
Q: If you cite a source from the Internet, do you have to follow the guidelines?
A: Yes. It is estimated that over 90% of the Internet is copyrighted material. There are loads of Internet sites that have illegally reproduced copyrighted material. For safety's sake, assume that all Internet material is copyrighted. As such it has all the protections of paper and audiovisual resources. One of the safe things to do with Internet material is simply link to your paper or project. This is almost always legal unless the source has stated that you may not link. You must have permission to copy amounts exceeding those stated in the Guidelines, and you must include a citation somewhere in your paper/project if you copy anything.
Q: If there isn't any copyright statement or sign, can material be used (copied) freely?
A: No. The copyright sign and statement are no longer required as signs of copyright. You should assume that the item is copyrighted unless there is a statement that the item may be freely copied or downloaded.
