Communicate 1.1.2 – Laws of Communication Quest

by PugnoM

http://www.copyright.com/learn/media-download/copyright-basics/

• How can one refrain from violating FERPA guidelines in online communication?

When student information is requested by parents, make sure to either provide the information in person, snail mail it (NOT email), or speak with the person who needs the information over the phone. Share information ONLY with the legal parent or guardian. 

• What methods could be employed to verify that copyright is not being violated?

Copyright laws must be addressed with students at every opportunity. Teachers must model how copyright laws are followed. At the beginning of a course, basic copyright laws and the policies of the company one is teaching the course for should be taught. Copyright needs to be part of the instructions/rubric for each assignment.

Teach students the four factors of when a use may be considered fair use: 1) the purpose and character of use of the copyrighted work, 3) the nature of the copyrighted work, 3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and 4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. According to Electronic Frontier Foundation, "Fair use allows people other than the copyright owner to copy part or, in some circumstances, all of a copyrighted work, even where the copyright holder has not given permission or objects." Fair use might allow using a work for education, news reporting, scholarly research, commentary or parody.

Teach students about Creative Commons (CC) licensing, usually used for sharing educational materials of all types. There are 6 types of free licensing that differ in how the material can be used. All 6 help creators retain copyright of their work while allowing the sharing of the material. "Creative Commons licenses require licensees to get permission to do any of the things with a work that the law reserves exclusively to a licensor and that the license does not expressly allow. Licensees must credit the licensor, keep copyright notices intact on all copies of the work, and link to the license from copies of the work."

• Does copyright require that all work, images, words, and graphics must be original?

The United States Copyright Office says "...Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S.Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works." This applies to music, performances, literary work, dramatic works, pantomimes, pictures, sculptures, images, videos or any other audiovisual work. Ownership of a copyright can be transferred to another person. This makes the requirement of originality null for the secondary owner (the work must be original to the first owner of the copyright). 

Sources

"Keep the Internet Creative, Free and Open." Creative Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2016.

Taulbee, Dennis, Marie Lasseter, Burns Newsome, Ahrash Bissell, Lila Bailey, Phil Moss, Myk Garn, Alan Grant, and Bruce Chaloux. "An Expectation of Sharing: Guidelines for Effective Policies to Respect, Protect and Increase the Use O Digital Educational Resources." Southern Regional Education Board. N.p., Mar. 2010. Web. 23 Jan. 2016. <http://publications.sreb.org/2010/10T02_Guidelines_Eff_Pol.pdf>.

"Teaching Copyright." Teaching Copyright. Electronic Frontier Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2016. <https://www.teachingcopyright.org/handout/fair-use-faq>.

USA. Library of Congress. U.S. Copyright Office. Copyright Basics. Washington, DC: United States Copyright Office, 2012. Print. Circular 1.