It’s one of those issues I face as a teacher and a librarian in this shifting landscape as I share the excitement of mashing and mixing and working with students to produce and share new communications that respect intellectual property, as I try also to encourage creative free speech and intellectual freedom.
It is a challenge to share guidelines and options for this darn confusing landscape. I used to be an expert here, but things now look pretty fuzzy. I’ve been trying hard to promote the work of Creative Commons and I try to lead students to copyright friendly resources.
Someone please tell me, are those guidelines I posted years ago, based on the Fair Use Guidelines for Multimedia, still useful? They seem just a little archaic.
Articles like this recent Wall Street Journal piece, describing a new tool for scanning the Web for copyright violations, make me certain my efforts count, especially when I look at the stuff I see posted on YouTube and MySpace
And so, I am always on the prowl for resources to help me guide my learners. Perhaps they will help us all:
- Learn How to Use Copyright and Stay Legal in the K-12 Classroom (CyberPlayGround) http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Internet/copyrightleft2.html
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Creative Commons’ Podcasting Legal Guide
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UNESCO’s Handbook on Copyright and Related Issues for Libraries
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Bloggers Beware http://www.llrx.com/features/bloggersbeware.htm
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Student Bloggers FAQ http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-students.php
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EFF Legal Guide for Bloggers http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/
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Intellectual Property and Free Speech in the Online World http://fairusenetwork.org/resources/OSPreport-2007.pdf
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White Stripes Creative Commons Video http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/getcreative/
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World Intellectual Property Organization http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/
7 responses so far ↓
When looking at YouTube, for instance, don’t forget that license deals can trump copyright. YouTube and Warner Music have a deal whereby Warner releases their music videos on YouTube and also gives all YouTube users permission to use Warner Music music in any video [YouTube Press Release - Sept. 18, 2006]. YouTube has since signed additional deals with Sony BMG and Universal Music Group allowing the use of their copyrighted material in YouTube user submissions.
The problem is that this information is not readily available on the YouTube site. You have to search in the back press releases to find mention of the above deals.
I think your original guidelines are still useful. I just used the “Fair Use” links from Stanford University in discussing a student project with a teacher from another school district earlier this week. Although I’m not an expert on this, the “fair use” guidelines were way before YouTube and podcasts. However, it seems like the concept of fair use for teachers and students still applies - whether a stand alone video or a YouTube presentation.
Joyce,
We still use those very guidelines…matter of fact I spent some time in an 8th grade classroom today on the first day of their copyright unit. It was the day when they get a tiny bit of info, which causes them to wildly raise their hands in the air, and each question starts with “What if I (copy, rip, use, post, etc.)…”, and is followed by a jigsawed, collaborative research project into all aspects of copyright.
The most interesting part, when giving them our best shot at the answers, were the little side murmurs of “Wow, Mrs. So-and-so just did that in class yesterday…maybe we should tell her that she has violated copyright.”
Once we have empowered the students with the knowledge they need to both respect others’ intellectual property and understand how valuable their own intellectual property is, I can imagine them becoming the “keepers of the Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines” in the school. Woo-hoo!!! Gotta love middle schoolers!
Kathy Schrock
[...] » Go copyright. No copyleft! Navigating intellectual property waters (tags: copyright fair_use) [...]
[...] My visit back to Lessig’s presentation resonated. It resonated especially in light of my recent post and current feelings of confusion and abiguity surrounding information ethics, the regulation of creativity, technology, the expansion of copyright, intellectual freedom, the owning of culture, and intellectual property. If you haven’t already viewed this presentation, go back, take a look, and think. Lessig’s story about the Disney’s approach to intellectual property, as well as his timeline relating to culture and copyright, may give you fresh context and cause you think twice about we’re all this is going. [...]
Joyce,
You’re on the ball, as ever! I’ve moved out of school librarianship myself, but still keep an eye on your activities. I work in the Further Education/Higher Education sector now, (Perth College is kind of both, as part of University of the Highlands and Islands http://www.uhi.ac.uk)
I always like to observe the dynamic, and you’re certainly that.
Copyright sometimes makes me angry; angry enough to write articles about it (see http://www.slainte.org.uk/publications/serials/infoscot/vol4(6)/vol4(6)article8.htm).
It’s about time the publishing industry dragged themselves into the 21st century. The music and film industry is working on it, why not them?
This blog is great, I’ll come back!
Hi Joyce,
Teaching the citizens of the USA what their Fair Use Rights are is the most important thing. This is the case by case situation a grey area that is the most vulnerable.
As an author, publisher and teacher I get email all the time asking about copyright, copyleft, copy do’s & don’ts. But it’s The Commons that we need to protect. It is about what belongs to the people, the citizens, that we want everyone to understand. We need to protect our fair use rights.
best,
Karen Ellis
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