Week 13 - Chapter 11

What are the four questions related to the fair use guidelines that teachers should ask before using copyrighted material?

Since the rise of technology and the widespread use of the internet, it has become virtually impossible to regulate the use of copyrighted material in the "virtual" world. Teachers are especially susceptible to using material created by others. Therefor, creators and publishers have set forth fair use guidelines to help describe the circumstances in which copyrighted material may be used both legally and ethically. But before a teacher can run off and use anything they want, they should ask themselves four basic questions when considering the fair use policy.
The first question is, "What is the intended use of the material?" Deciding the purpose of using the material is crucial. I mean , if you are charging an audience to see a movie, it is a little different from showing an educational video to your class. Obviously, using material for profit is not allowed.
The second question is, "What type of work is it?" Determining the nature off the work is critical also. Did the creators intend for it to be used in the classroom? Does the material contain fact or fiction? Teachers should decide if it primarily for entertainment or educational purposes. Showing Star Wars to a class does not count as an astronomy lesson! All material used in a classroom should be of an educational nature.
The next questions teachers should when considering the fair use guidelines is, "How much of the work do you intend to use?" Is it a clip, or a full-length feature film? Are you copying a couple of pages, or an entire text? Common sense dictates what teachers should do. They should never reproduce anything in its entirety unless it is absolutely necessary.
The last question is perhaps the most important. "What impact does this kind of use have on the market for the work?" Taking money out of the hands of the creators and publishers is exactly what we are trying to avoid. If an original can be purchased, than it should be. Of showing a new movie to an entire school is going to keep those students from going to the theater to see it, then it should not be shown. Again, a little common sense is in order.
Even if the material falls within the fair use guidelines, teachers should not just go around copying anything they wish. Teachers should limit the amount of copyrighted material used in their classrooms. Using work for one class once a year is acceptable, repeated use is not. And as always, teachers should give credit where credit is do, to the people who created the material in the first place.