1. Copyright Laws
How to Get Permission?
By: Ruth Garza
EDTC 6340.65

2. What isCopyright?
Copyrights protect an authors published works such as teacher resources, literary texts, plays, movies, etc
3. Public Domain vs. Orphan Works
Public domain refers to any public institutions blog or sharing site used to post comments, discoveries, suggestions, or processes for others to build upon and continue to share. Works are therefore free to be published.
An orphan work is when a work on the web has no owner and, therefore remains outside of the digital environment.
4. Why not use an orphan work?
If someone claims ownership, he or she may enforce his or her right through the Copyright Act.
Never assume a work is so old that it would be acceptable to use it.
Look for its owner to avoid punishment.
5. What if there is no owner?
By ensuring that there is no owner, you reduce the risk of punishment for displaying or digitizing any work.
You may then display the work adding a special note advising the public that it is not a guarantee that the work may be used for any purpose.
This enables orphan works to be viewed by the public.
6. What about using material from the internet?
Copyright laws govern the use of material you might find on the Internet.
Not everything posted on the Internet is public domain.
Saving any document is already a copyrighted work.Once it is inputted into a computer media, it is automatically copyright protected.
7. The Saving Grace:Implied and Express licenses
Implied license is when an author posts something on the Internet and expects it to be read, downloaded, printed out, forwarded, or used for another work.
Express licenses spell out in detail what rights the author of a work wants readers, viewers, or listeners to have.The author may attach a Creative Commons license to the materials he or she posts on the website to give an express license.
8. Liability for posting infringing works
Individuals can be liable for their own actions when they copy and distribute others copyrighted works without permission.
You could be fined up to $150,000 for each act of infringement.
Institutions such as libraries or university can also be liable for the actions of their employees or students who access the Internet through universitymachines.
9. What about the role of Fair Use?
Fair use policy applies to the online environment.
It protects you from lawsuits or any type of punishment when using a work.
However,there are many stipulations and therefore you should be informed on what would fall under the umbrella of fair use when using a work.
10. How to know if you need permission to use a copyrighted work?
Ask yourself these questions to see if the work qualifies as fair use:

Is the work protected?

If a work is
not original or lacks originality
compiled work (like the phone book)
in a public domain, available free of restrictions (Freeware- therefore covered by implied license)
A US Government works
Facts
You may use it without asking permission!
11. Ask yourself

Does my campus already have licensed rights to use the work?

Some works are never protected at all!!
12. Ask yourself

Has the owner of the work used a Creative Commons license which gives the public the right to use the work in the way that you would like to use it?

13. Do I want to exercise one of the owners exclusive rights if I dont have express or implied rights by? 14. Making a copy (reproduce) 15. Using a work for another work 16. Electronically distributing or publishing copies 17. Publically performing a work (music, poetry, video,) 18. Publically displaying an image on a computer screen