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Faculty members are uniquely positioned
to benefit from copyright exemptions. Some of the most
generous exemptions of Section
107 apply to the traditional face-to-face classroom
setting of nonprofit educational institutions. "...
The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for ... teaching
(including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship,
or research, is not an infringement of copyright."
Additionally, Section
110(1) allows dramatic presentations and displays
of works in the classroom. Beyond the classroom, The
TEACH Act modified Section
110(2) to allow portions of protected works to be
presented electronically in a controlled distance learning
setting (e.g., Blackboard/Vista).
However, with all of these copyright privileges,
faculty members still must strive to be especially scrupulous
about avoiding intentional infringement of a copyright
holder's rights. The same holds true for students, for
staff, for any member of an academic community. "With
great power comes great responsibility." (Stan Lee)
Be especially careful to avoid copyright
infringement on personal websites. Even though it may
be for educational purposes, material on these sites are
not being presented in a classroom setting. Avoid using
graphics, music, cartoons, any copyright protected material
without permission. If you plan to incorporate a student's
material into a lesson, be sure to get written permission
first. Students have Copyright
Rights also.
And lastly, although not part of copyright
law, plagiarism can be a temptation and trap for faculty
members as well as students. If you want a quick refresher,
see the Beyond Copyright
— Plagiarism section. |
