Copyright+Information

//Copyright Information //

Copyright laws govern the manner in which printed matter, videotapes, and computer software may be duplicated for educational purposes. The information provided is intended to help educators know how to legally copy and use resources.

Howard County Circular on copyright laws.

PRINT MATERIALS __Acceptable Copying__ Teachers may, in preparing for instruction, make a single copy of: • A chapter from a book • An article from a newspaper or periodical • A short story, short essay or short poem; or • A chart, graph, diagram, drawing cartoon or picture from a book, periodical or newspaper.

In preparing for instruction, teachers may make multiple copies (not to exceed one copy per student in the class) if: • The copying meets the criteria of brevity and spontaneity as defined below; and • Meets the cumulative effect test as defined below; and • Each copy includes a notice of copyright.

//Brevity// • A complete poem, if less than 250 words and if printed on not more than two pages, may be copied; excerpts from longer poems may not exceed 250 words. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">• Complete articles, stories, or essays of less than 2500 words may be copied. For other types of prose, a copy must not be more than 1,000 words or 10 percent of the whole, whichever is less. The law provides a specific prohibition against copying picture books in their entirety. Only two pages of a picture book may be copied. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">• One chart, picture, cartoon, graph, diagram, or drawing may be copied per book or periodical issue. These copies must be photocopies or exact copies. Enlarging or modifying the illustration violates the copyright law.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">//Spontaneity// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Copying is at the “instance and inspiration” of an individual teacher. The decision to use the work and the moment of its maximum use are so close in time that it would be unreasonable to expect a timely reply to a request for permission.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">//Cumulative Effect// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Copies may be made for only one class per semester and may not exceed nine sets for the semester.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">VIDEO MATERIALS <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">__Acceptable Use__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">In order for a school to use a video without paying royalties for a public performance, ALL FOUR of the following conditions must be met: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">• The performance must occur in the course of face-to-face teaching activities; and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">• The performance must be presented by instructors or students; and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">• The performance must take place in the classroom or similar place of instruction, including the library media center; and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">• The performance must be of a legally acquired copy of the video.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> Copyright.gov is the United States Copyright website.