Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright law promotes innovation, creativity, and progress by protecting one's ability to make a living from one's intellectual property. Educational fair use acts to balance an individual's right to his/her work and an educator's or student's need to use that work for educational purposes.

Why is understanding copyright important for educators?

Educator Professional Standards

School Library Media Coordinators (SLMC) and Instructional Technology Facilitators (ITF) "Participates in state and/or national conversations regarding ethical access and use of resources, intellectual property, and digital citizenship" (SLMC: Standard 1, Element D, Distinguished; ITF: Standard 1, Element E, Distinguished)

Teacher "Models the tenets of the Code of Ethics for NC Educators and the Standards for Professional Conduct and encourages others to do the same" (Standard 1, Element E, Distinguished)

Digital Learning Competencies for Teachers

"Demonstrate understanding of intellectual property rights by abiding by copyright law, intellectual property, and fair use guidelines"
"Teach and require the use of copyright law and fair use in student work and creation"

Digital Learning Competencies for Administrators

"Model responsible use of technology including, but not limited to, communication, social, ethical, legal, and global issues"
"Promote and model positive digital citizenship as well as practical policies for communication and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure responsible, effective digital teaching and learning practices throughout all school processes"

Student Curriculum Standards

Information Technology Essential Standards (ethical use strand)

Copyright for Students

Copyright for Students LiveBinder: (Note about mixed collections: Some copyright friendly websites and/or databases contain both public domain and copyrighted resources. When using these copyright friendly resources, be sure to check the copyright status of each work that you use.)

Copyright for Educators

Copyright FAQs

Copyright for Educators LiveBinder: (Note about mixed collections: Some copyright friendly websites and/or databases contain both public domain and copyrighted resources. When using these copyright friendly resources, be sure to check the copyright status of each work that you use.)

Additional Resources

ALA-Fair Use
The Basics of Copyright Law (Donna Murray's PD)
Copyright AdvisoryNetwork (geared toward librarians)
Copyright Considerations: Posting Online (YouTube video)
Digital Citizenship (Kathy Parker's PD)
Copyright and Fair Use in Education (Kathy Parker's presentation)

Copyright and School Libraries in the Digital Age (Knowledge Quest)

Copyright for Educators and Librarians (free online course)

Copyright for K-12 Librarians and Educators (eBook available via NCWiseOwl login)

Copyright in the K-12 Classroom(NCEES Course)
NC Digital Learning Competencies

Contact Information

For more information about copyright and fair use, please contact the School Library Media and Sandhills Regional Consultant, Kathy Parker, kathy.parker@dpi.nc.gov.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only so that you can learn more about copyright and fair use. It is not for the purpose of providing legal advice. Please consult an attorney if you need legal advice.