News and Trends
Top 10 Ways 21st-Century Schools Can Protect Themselves from Copyright Violation
1/1/0001 By:
Educators as well as students must
have a clear understanding of copyright
regulations so that not only
can they avoid committing violations
themselves, they can also protect their
own work from being used out of
context unlawfully. Here are some
of the chief ways that 21st-century
schools, educators, and students can
safeguard themselves.
10. Be mindful that copyright
regulations apply to various
media. “As a passive reminder that
copyright laws apply to virtually all
copying,” says expert on copyright
law and author Carol Simpson, “get
stickers similar to those that you find
on copy machines and put them on all
equipment capable of making copies.”
9. When using video, get permission
or licenses. “One of the most
frequent causes of cease-and-desist
letters to schools is showing
entertainment films that are
not tied to the curriculum,”
Simpson says. “Such showings
require permission
from the copyright owner
or payment of royalties
because they are nonexempt
public performances.”
8. If it’s a consumable—
that is, something
that is destroyed or
altered by being used for its
intended purpose (and thus is
intended for a single use only)—
don’t copy it. Schools often get in
trouble when teachers make photocopies
of tear-out sheets in student
handbooks.
7. Lead by example. Instructors have
to cite the sources of the materials
they use in handouts and be sure they
have the necessary permissions when
creating course packets, in order to
model proper behavior for students.
6. Just because it’s easily
accessible doesn’t
mean you can use it
freely. Material on
the Internet is not
exempt from copyright
policies.
5. Student copyright
should not be
overlooked. Schools should
put the same effort into protecting
students’ work that they
do into not committing violations
with more-commercial resources,
such as textbooks and entertainment.
4. Unpublished work requires citation.
Even if work has not been
formally published, it still has to be
cited when referenced in other work.
3. Utilize your resources. Use software
programs that check the
originality of students’ work, such as
Turnitin.
2. Policies must be in place. Without
the proper policies and procedures
for punishing copyright offenses
in position, the whole concept of
copyright becomes moot. Educators
and students alike have to understand
copyright policy and the ramifications
of violating it.
1. Teach students the importance
of academic honesty. If students
understand the fundamentals of academic
integrity, including the value
of producing original work, obeying
copyright policies will become second
nature to them.
—Renee Bangerter is a professor
of English at Saddleback College,
Mission Viejo, CA.