Copyright,
copyright, copyright. As a future media
specialist, when I hear those words I cringe!
I must say that I’m very happy to have read the article from
mediaeducationlab.com! There are many
myths out there and I have to admit that I fell into the “myth trap” as well. I’ll speak on a couple of myths and I think
you’ll feel a little bit better about it yourself….
Myth 1: “Fair use
it too unclear and complicated for me; it’s better left to lawyers and
administrators.”
Okay – good, I’m
off the hook on that one. Oh – that was
the myth? Oh right – well here is the
truth about that one. There is a thing
called fair use and lucky for us, the Copyright Act was actually written
broadly, not narrowly, and is not as strict as you might think. Okay – so maybe I can handle this one after
all.
Myth 2: “School
System rules are the last word of fair use by educators.”
That’s right –
that’s what I heard. Yep. What, that was another myth? You’re kidding me. So you’re telling me that the school system
may have gone overboard when setting the rules for copyright? You mean we can actually do more that they
give us rights to do? Well, I’m not one
to buck the system, but when the system is too tight, maybe it needs a little
bucking! I have to say that the
copyright laws video in my system is very rigid. They require that all educators read them at
the beginning of the school year and they make you so scared about breaking the
law that you wouldn’t even think about questioning it. Maybe we need to have an in-service for the county
office, to dispel the myths about copyright laws. Hmmm – now that sounds a little
backwards. But hey, if it’s best for the
children, maybe it’s worth considering.
Well, I’m feeling
better already! I know it is important
to follow copyright laws, but it is good to know that the laws are not as
stringent as I once thought they were.
Well, gotta go…..I’ve got a multi-media production that I’ve got to get
started on….. ;)
Response 4-Christy Falls
ReplyDeleteThis topic makes me cringe every time I hear it, especially since I am charged with teaching it to my third graders. I am about to teach them how to import images from the Web to their presentations, but how do I actually go about it. I have never received a presentation on how to effectively teach this policy to students, nor have the media specialist taught teachers how to avoid breaking this policy as well. So what does a good educator do? Research it on his or her own, which I did. According to the Center for Digital Research and Scholarship (n.d.), which can be found here: http://copyright.columbia.edu/copyright/fair-use/fair-use-checklist/, “Fair use is determined by a balanced application of four factors set forth in the statute: (1) the purpose of the use; (2) the nature of the work used; (3) the amount and substantiality of the work used; and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the work used”. I don’t know about you but I never knew about the 4 factors. Like yourself, copyright policies were myths that changed from person to person whenever discussed. Even after I looked at the checklist provided on the website listed above, I am still confused like yourself. One thing that peaked my interest about your blog was about how school districts having varying policies that are sometimes a little too strict in nature. One website that I went to had its policy listed pretty clearly to me, check it out at http://www.lwsd.org/students/6-12-research-homework/Pages/Copyright-Fair-Use.aspx http://www.lwsd.org/students/6-12-research-homework/Pages/Copyright-Fair-Use.aspx and tell me if you agree that it is pretty easy to comprehend. I believe that an universal policy would be best. What would happen if I move to another city, state, or even country? Am I responsible for knowing every policy ever created?
I agree with you and think that's a great idea to have a school system "go to " person for copyright questions. Perhaps the school system attorney could be this person. I think system administrators err on the side of caution when they develop their policies regarding copyright because they don't want to miss something or misinform their faculty. It is important that teachers follow copyright law and it can get really complicated, especially when funds are tight and copies of a book section need to be made to facilitate a lesson. Perhaps now with more technology in the classroom, it might be easier to work around situations like this without violating copyright laws.
ReplyDeleteYes, Christy. The eight myths were indeed too common among educators. The truth is that we as educators must establish the best practices in fair use. We can be leaders, like other groups have been (documentary film industry, film scholars, and online video creators). So, reading the Center for Social Media's summary of what educators across the U.S. have come to agree upon was really enlightening. The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education allowed me to see the five principles of which the fair use doctrine applies, however I agree with you and the other replies above that it can be confusing, especially when we don't get the same answer or read the same guidelines within policies and procedures of school systems, etc.
ReplyDeleteChristy, I wish I had this topic this week because I spent last week delivering a copyright presentation to our entire staff. Teachers should not count heavily on ‘fair use’. There are so many ways teaches can and have abused copyright in the past, present and probably in the future. Even thought things ‘weight on the side of the teacher’ many times, all you have to do is give or share something that is meant for single use only and you are violating copyright. I have seen teachers copy consumable workbooks (due to lack of funds) for their students and that is clearly against the copyright policy. Teacher pay Teachers clearly outlines how you may use their materials and I have seen many people go beyond the use policy. Fortunately, it is not our job to police copyright but it is the job of media specialists to make the staff aware of the rules and regulations. Delivering the information through staff development and posting rules at the copy machines is a great way to make sure your staff thinks twice about what they are copying.
ReplyDeleteOne true test for copyright is; are you depriving the creator the right they have to make money from what they have created. If I was an author and made a living off my creations, I would not want people sharing my work. Just recently in the news, Tiffany’s is suing Costco for copying their designs. The copyright of software is so prevalent that they have now made it a felony, which can include jail time and fines up to $250,000 dollars. As a media specialist, do not allow copies of movies and software in your library! Make sure your school has paid for a license like ones from http://www.swank.com which permits you to show certain videos publicly.