Week one of LIBS 602 we explored the topic of copyright and fair use. There were a couple things that were a little surprising and there are a few questions remaining.
For starters, as a classroom teacher, there were several things about fair use that I realized were being violated, like sharing workbooks. As the lecture went on, I kept thinking about all the times that schools and classroom teachers think they are abiding by fair use but they are not. For example, I once taught at a school where movies were used as a reward. It seems like this is harmless and a thing that should be allowed. According to fair use, that’s not the case!
I was also relieved to learn that it is okay to show movies in a face-to-face instructional environment. I have used Disney movies, like Selma Lord Selma, to help teach the Civil Rights Movement to my seventh grade students. Depending on which teacher you talk to, I have heard conflicting arguments over whether or not it is okay. One teacher I know told me that we shouldn’t show movies like that in its entirety because of copyright laws. It was surprising and a relief to learn that it is actually okay to do so.
Finally, a couple questions that are still remaining are:
- How can you be sure you haven’t violated copyright and fair use laws? (Especially as a classroom teacher!)
- Why is it a violation of fair use to show a movie to a large group of students as a reward?
- In a library setting, how is copyright not violated when a book is checked out to someone multiple times?