Copyright and Fair Use

1. A student snaps in half a CD-ROM the teacher really needed for her next class. The teacher decides to make a back-up copy of all her crucial disks so it never happens again. This is permissible.

This one's answer (That it is permissible) is interesting to me because it brings up one of the common misconceptions about technology. Because software was distributed before the Internet, people got used to the idea that they were paying for the data on the disc, or the disc itself, when they bought software. In reality, because data is so easily copied, trying to sell it would be a fool's errand. Instead, my understanding is that companies are actually selling licenses to use that data. With the advent of digital distribution, this is an important distinction to make.

6. A middle school science class studying ocean ecosystems must gather material for multimedia projects. The teacher downloads pictures and information on marine life from various commercial and noncommercial sites to store in a folder for students to access. This is fair use.

I like the notion that this is true, because it is something I was worried about. It can be discouraging thinking about how the world of copyright seems designed to work against us.

9. A technology coordinator downloads audio clips from MP3.com to integrate into a curriculum project. This is fair use.

I found this interesting because it wasn't what I would expect. I think it's great that a website like mp3.com is out there. Teachers need resources to have compelling lesson designs, and it's good to know somebody is willing to provide.

11. A teacher videotapes a rerun of Frontier House, the PBS reality show that profiles three modern families living as homesteaders from the 1880s did. In class, students edit themselves "into" the frontier and make fun of the spoiled family from California. This is fair use.

This was another case where I didn't expect it to be true. It seems to me that, as long as a person adds onto the work, it's okay. The trouble comes up when somebody just redistributes a piece of work.

12. A student tries to digitize the shower scene from a rented copy of Psycho into a "History of Horror" report. Her computer won't do it. The movie happens to be on an NBC station that week, so the teacher tapes it and then digitizes it on the computer for her. This is fair use.

I found this one interesting because the answer is that it is true, but that manufacturers are trying to stop it from happening by putting on blocks. Those blocks are almost certainly meant for regular users, but they adversely affect teachers as well. I also thought it was funny that the article recommended snatching up laserdiscs.

19. A high school video class produces a DVD yearbook that includes the year's top ten music hits as background music. This is fair use.

The article says this one is false, and the reason it gives says that it's because yearbooks aren't meant for instructional use. This is interesting because it shows me that, as long as I'm using something for instructional use, chances are it'll be allowed, with some exceptions as laid out in the article.