Copyright in online courses

Why do we care about copyright?

  • We tell our studentsCopyright symbol to care about copyright and teach them to cite- we should be demonstrating the same practices
  • It's the law
  • However, we are not lawyers in Instructional Design and Technology, so none of this is Official Legal Advice

Image source: By Unknown [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

How does copyright law intersect with education?

"Copyright law provides for the principle, commonly called "fair use" that the reproduction of copyright works for certain limited, educational purposes, does not constitute copyright infringement." (Source: The University of Chicago Copyright Information Center Links to an external site.)

There are four considerations when trying to determine whether or not your use falls under "fair use" known as PANE:

  1. Purpose: Are you use content for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research?
  2. Amount: How much of the whole item are you using? Are you copying just enough to make your point, no more, and you can say why? You can use a fair amount of the content if it's necessary to your purpose and you can explain why/how it is necessary.
  3. Nature of the work: Is the content factual or creative? Is it published already?
    • If it’s more factual, you can probably copy more of it.
    • If it’s already published, you can probably have a stronger case. Less of a chance you’re stealing profits away from someone else.
  4. Economic Impact: Will your use of the material deprive the author or creator of revenue or profits? 

What pieces of your online course should you take into consideration?

  • Where are students getting their readings?
  • What images are you posting to the online course site itself?
  • What images are you including in PowerPoint presentations or self-made lecture videos?
  • Are you using video? How are you sharing the video with the students?