The purpose of copyright law is to balance the rights of those who create original works with the rights of those who use those works. Achieving this balance is no simple matter. How much of a work is used, the purpose, nature, and market effect of the use, must all be considered when using copyrighted material. Questions of format and new technologies not addressed in older laws further complicate the use of copyrighted material. And, if permission must be sought, who is the owner and what is the proper procedure? Even established law is open to interpretation and different copyright experts may give different advice. In the midst of all this confusion educators must resolve copyright issues on an almost daily basis.

It would be nice if there were cut-and-dry rules for educational uses of copyrighted material, but the very nature of fair use precludes such precision. Indeed, it seems like it only gets more difficult to make confident decisions about proper use of copyrighted material as media and technology continue to evolve. The links below pull together sources of information about copyright of interest to educators:

Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web
A good one-page summary from the University of Maryland Library

Copyright Crash Course
A comprehensive site with a sense of humor.
From the University of Texas

Copyright Management Center
Topics include Fair-Use Issues, with a helpful checklist, Permissions Information, including how to secure permission, Copyright Ownership, and the Copyright Quickguide.

TEACH Toolkit
An excellent guide to the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act, including an Expanded TEACH Checklist . From North Carolina State University

U.S. Copyright Office
Authoritative and comprehensive – check out the factsheets

Wellesley College Copyright Policy
Especially helpful for questions about photocopies and audiovisual materials (music, slides, videos, photographs)

Copyright Renewal Database
The Copyright Renewal Database from Standford University compiles renewal of copyright for works published between 1924 and 1963.

When Works Pass into the Public Domain
A brief, easy-to-understand chart