CopyRight

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

Can I copy and paste information I find on the Internet and the databases into my school project?
You should be reading information and putting it into your own words to show what you have learned. Sometimes, you will find a sentence or two that you want to use exactly as it is written. In that case, you should put those sentences in "quotation marks" and tell who wrote it.

Can I copy and paste pictures that I find on the Internet into my school project?
As long as your project is only going to be shown only at school, you many use pictures you find on the Internet. If you are creating a Web page that anyone can see, you must get permission to use pictures.

Can I use music from home for a podcast?
Since our podcasts go up on the internet for anyone to hear, we can not use anyone's music without their permission. Go to Free Play Music (the last link on the bottom of this page) to get music for podcasts because we already have permission.

Visit

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/copyrightmystery/

"Fair Use" Guidelines for

Student Projects

Written Materials - newspapers, books, magazines, CD-ROM, computer files, etc.

· Up to 10% of the total or 1,000 words, whichever is less

Poems

· An entire poem of less than 250 words may be used

· No more than 3 poems by one poet

· No more than 5 poems by different authors in an anthology

Illustrations or Photographs

· No more than 5 images from one artist or photographer

· Up to 10% or 15 works, whichever is less, from a collection

Music - CDs, audiotape, computer files

· Up to 10% of the work but no more than 30 seconds

Motion media - video, TV or radio broadcast, DVD, CD-ROM, computer files

· Up to 10% of the total or 3 minutes, whichever is less

Database or Spreadsheet

· Up to 10% or 2500 fields or cell entries, whichever is less

Getting Permission

When you need to get permission

· If you intend to publish another person's photographs, logos, graphics, etc. on your web site

· If you intend to use the project for commercial or non-educational purposes

· If you want to use more of a copyrighted work than "fair use" allows

· When you intend to duplicate the project with more than two copies

· If your project may have a broader use at a later time

· If you want to change the format, alter the presentation or modify the content

How to get permission

Write or e-mail the copyright holder, publisher, or other obvious source. Include the information below and note specifically what you want permission to copy, use, and what you plan to do with it.

· Title

· Author(s)

· Copyright year

· Medium/format to be duplicated

· Number of copies

· Manner of distribution

· Type of reproduction

· Length of retention

· Purpose/use of the reproduction

· Contact information, address, e-mail, or fax number

What is Not Allowed

You May Not...

· Make copies of commercial videos

· Copy software or music to a computer hard drive, CD or audiotape

· Allow a friend to copy your software or music to a computer

· Use a web site HTML code without permission

· Post a web page without permission for photographs, graphics, designs and logos used from other sources