Tag Archives: Copyright

Aug 27 2012

Copyright Resources

So what now?

Included in this post are helpful Copyright resources provided by Dr. Serena Carpenter.

Public Domain Resources
Some organizations offer content classified as public domain, which means property rights are held by the public:

Stock Image Resources
Students can also use stock photos for free or for a price. Here is a list of sites that offer free stock photos:

Creative Commons
People have access to creative commons content because authors/creators give permission through Creative Commons licenses. Authors can choose from a variety of licensing options. A person must read the author’s restrictions related to the use of their content before posting the author’s content. Authors often times allow people to use their work as a way of promoting themselves, and thus, they want credit for their work. Creative Commons (CC) “is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making it easier to share and build upon the works of others consistent with copyright. We provide free licenses to enable sharing,” according to Vice Chair of Creative Commons Esther Wojcicki.

This screencast shows you how to navigate creative common search engines. Here are some sites that host or grant access to free creative commons content and other sites:

Licensing Your Site
Students can copyright their blog or site as well, however it is costly. Law student Ruth Carter said at a PodCamp AZ conference that it costs $65 every three months to copyright a blog. You do not have to register your site/content to receive copyright protection, however @rbcarter said the advantage is you are able to sue for more money if someone steals your stuff. If someone steals your content, you can also sue for statutory damages ($200 – $150,000 per infringement) and attorneys fees, not just real damage.

Aug 18 2012

Copyright Conundrums

Every year it seems we address the same issues of Copyright.  My usual first response to the “Can I use it?” question is:  “If you don’t own it, you can’t use it without permission.”  We then begin exploring Creative Commons and Fair Use which only generates more grief.

For me it is pretty simple.  I own my publishing company.  I was a songwriter/recording artist for several years so it tends to become personal.  The money I missed because of illegal copying is small potatoes compared to that left unrealized in our current technology enabled world.

I recently came across this post from School Video News which provides some interesting resources that may help students understand and navigate the world of Copyright.  Most of the articles are by textbook author and video production guru Phil Harris.
Get your students off to the proper start for the year!

It seems that every year the “Copyright Monster” rears its ugly head

To have this information at your fingertips when you want it, we have compiled the following list of some of the articles that appear in School Video News. Feel free to download them, print them out using the button on the article and distribute them to your classes. There are more, but this should get you started.

How Does YouTube Get Away With It?

What Do Lemmings Get By Jumping Off the Cliff?

Movin’ On Up – Music in Sports

Movin on Up – Use of Music

Copyright Law: What you need to know

Copyright Permissions and LipDubs

Copyright Issues When Using Music in Videos

How Do I get Copyright Permission?

Warning: Your Video Contains Copyrighted Material

How to get Media Permissions for your Videos and Other Media

Illegal Sharing of Music Files-Who’s Getting Sued and Why

Media Permissions and Ethics: Essential Practices for Videographers

and many more in School Video News, your on-line resource for teachers of TV/Video and Film Production.

Not part of the community?  Join our NEW online discussion forum by registering at http://www.schoolvideonews.com/forum/index

Jan 30 2012

The Web is Not Free

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the use of material found on the Web.  When in doubt there is a good rule of thumb you can use.  If you don’t own the item, document, file, track, pic etc. or have written permission to use it you can’t.

If you don’t own it, don’t use it.

That sounds pretty harsh and things aren’t always “black and white.”  There is this whole thing called Creative Commons.  Essentially defines several types of licenses and rights that an individual can provide to others without surrendering their own copyright protection and ownership.

Within the Creative Commons community are a number of people and sites that publish material that is available for use in creative work.  Attached is an in depth description from Professor Trish Anderton at the Cronkite school that will help you in your quest to honor intellectual property.CreativeCommons

Another good resource is “A picture’s Worth 1,000 Links.”  This post by Amanda Milligan provides a good guide to finding and citing images.