The Basics of Education Copyright Law It is a wonderful thing that Education Copyright Law is available to educators. It's not just teachers who can benefit from copyright law in education. Students are also covered, to some extent, by the Educational Copyright Act. Teachers can use copyrighted materials in their classroom and make copies. Students can also use copyrighted materials in school projects. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The key to copyright law in education is how often a teacher or student uses copyrighted material, how they use it, and how many copies they make. It is important that teachers and students do not cross the line of education copyright law, otherwise they may face severe penalties. It helps many students and teachers learn what exactly is not protected by copyright. Any work in the public domain is not protected by copyright and can be used in school and for school projects. Work that is not in the public domain is protected by copyright, and if you use it you should ensure that it falls under fair use or educational copyright law. Many people don't know what exactly the fair use copyright rules are. When trying to see if you can use another's words, you should keep a few things in mind. The answer to the following questions will help you evaluate whether you would be infringing a copyright. First, are you transforming someone else's work or are you directly copying it? If you directly use another person's work, for what purpose and how much of the original author's work are you using? Many publishing houses have established rules about how much material they allow to be cited in other sources. Some of these ranges start at 100 words or less. However, there are no standards to follow, so be careful. You can't assume that keeping your copy under 50 words will allow you to fly under the radar, especially if the original piece is around 125 words! There is more leeway when it comes to technical writing. For example, if you're writing a report on something that involves a lot of expert reporting, you should probably cite more of its author's work than that of a novelist. Fair use copyright law allows people to use portions of copyrighted material for the purpose of criticism or commentary. People involved in the field of distance education should take a look at the TEACH Act which was signed into law in 2002. This law clearly outlines the requirements that a university or school must comply with when it comes to transmitting works protected by copyright via the Internet. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The TEACH Act allows students and teachers to convey copyrighted works, but they must follow certain guidelines. If the school or college is unable to meet these guidelines, material transmitted via the Internet must fall under fair use copyright law or the individuals involved must have the permission of the copyright owner. If you are a teacher and use copyrighted material, make sure it falls under the Educational Copyright Act.