Copyright and You

presented on April 5, 2001 at the DCMO BOCES, Support Services Center, Norwich
by Gary H. Becker, Consultant

Mr. Becker has provided copyright scenarios based on actual questions that he has received in the course of his work around the country. The nine scenarios cover the following topics:

1. Graphics and Websites

2. Using Music in a Power Point Presentation

3. Using Authorware

4. Airing a Production Over Cable TV

5. Copying from One Format to Another

6. Student Produced Works

7. Copying and Using Book Cover Images

8. Interlibrary Loan Faxing

9. School Owned Videos Shown After School

You can test your knowledge of copyright law by reading the situations and clicking on the appropriate button if you believe the action is permissible (OK), not permissible (NOT OK), or wishy washy (WW). (Mr. Becker defines "wishy washy" as being unsure or if you believe the action may be partially permissible/not permissible.)

1. A school is producing a Web site. Students have found graphics on other Web sites that they would like to include on their site. The original source is being given credit.

2. As part of a social studies assignment, students have been required to create PowerPoint presentations to present to their classes.  Some of them want to use copyrighted music for either background or to accompany a particular frame in their presentation.

3. A teacher is publishing an electronic workbook. She has used a computer program that creates crossword puzzles she hopes to include in her workbook. She has not sought permission, from the software copyright holder, to use the puzzles that she developed with their software.

4. A groups of students have produced a school presentation accompanied by playing background music directly from the original source CD. The presentation is video taped for transmission over the local, cable access channel.

5. A library is in the process of converting its record collection onto a cassette tape. The records are getting old and the record players are even older. The school is now only purchasing tape recorders for its classrooms.

6. A curriculum department gathers samples of student work to portray "A" type work, "B" type work, etc. They eliminate the students' names, then duplicate and disseminate these examples to teachers.

7. To stimulate interest in reading, a school has copied and scanned book cover images for use in bulletin board displays, reports, on teacher web sites and for bibliographies.

8. A media specialist requests a copy of a poem from a book from another library and the lending library copies it and sends it by fax to the requesting library.

9. The after school program shows videos that have been purchased with school funds and are included in a school's media center, video collection. The programs are used for entertainment and informal education, but there is no formal instruction or lesson plan.