vra 2012, fair use guidelines q&a, introduction, background, overview, q&a

Presented at the Annual Conference of the Visual Resources Association, April 18th - April 21st, 2012, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Session: Fair Use Guidelines Q&A ForumFair use provides the right to make certain uses of images and other copyrighted materials without seeking permission from, or paying fees to, the copyright owners of those materials. However, many in the educational and cultural heritage communities are uncertain how to apply fair use in actual practice. The VRA Intellectual Property Rights Committee has created a Statement on the Fair Use of Images for Teaching, Research and Study to provide guidance to the VRA community on when it is appropriate to rely on fair use and to document our long-standing community practices in this area. The Committee believes that, as with other communities’ statements of fair use, documentation of these community practices and principles will help the community of educational and scholarly image users rely on fair use with greater confidence. This panel discussion will present the Fair Use Guidelines and answer such questions as: Do I need to seek permission in order to reproduce and display images for teaching purposes? Can I rely on fair use in posting images on a course website or other online study materials? Must I receive clearance in order to publish images in a dissertation or thesis? Can I rely on fair use in order to preserve image materials in other formats? Do I need to seek permission in order to share images with other educational and scholarly institutions? It will also provide a behind-the-scenes look at the careful process by which the VRA Guidelines have been formulated and vetted by expert legal opinion. The panel will be followed by ample opportunity for audience members to ask questions relating the principles and procedures set forth in the Guidelines to their own situations. MODERATOR: Allan T. Kohl, Minneapolis College of Art & Design SPEAKERS: Cara Hirsch, Deputy General Counsel, ARTstorGretchen Wagner, General Counsel, Secretary, and Vice President of Administration, ARTstor