Copyright+in+the+classroom

A copyright is the legal right granted to an author, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work, which is protected on or after January 1, 1978 for the lifetime of the author or creator and 70 years after his/her death. A copyrighted work is protected even if it is not registered as long as it is tangible and creative. Works that are in the public domain or are familiar and common, with no original author (such as calendars), are not copyrighted. Fair use is the conditions under which you can use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties. There are no set guidelines to decide whether a work is fair, but instead 4 factors to weigh: 1. The purpose and character of the use 2. The nature of the copyrighted work 3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used 4. The effect of use on the potential market for the copyrighted work Copying by teachers must meet the tests of brevity(how much of the work can be copied) and spontaneity(how many times a work can be copied).
 * Copyright**
 * Fair Use**
 * Fair Use Limits:**
 * A chapter from a book (never the entire book).
 * An article from a periodical or newspaper.
 * A short story, essay, or poem. One work is the norm whether it comes from an individual work or an anthology.
 * A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.
 * Poetry
 * Multiple copies of a poem of 250 words or less that exist on two pages or less or 250 words from a longer poem.
 * Prose
 * Multiple copies of an article, story or essay that are 2,500 words or less or excerpts up to 1,000 words or 10 percent of the total work, whichever is less.
 * Illustrations
 * Multiple copies of a chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture contained in a book or periodical issue

http://www.umuc.edu/library/copy.shtml
 * References**

It is essential for children to understand the importance of copyright. They need to learn how to make sure things are copyright before they use them or to cite where they got the copyrighted work from. On the web, especially, they need to make sure they are not stealing another's work that they need to cite the work and where they got the work from if it is copyrighted. They will use this copyrighted information for their entire life because it is an ongoing issue in society today.