Copyright can be a difficult area of the law to navigate for instructors and can at times serve as a barrier for instructors who are reluctant to include content in their courses or teaching materials for fear of infringement.  To help provide guidance in this area, we have created Copyright in the Classroom, a self-paced iTunes U course that introduces basic copyright concepts all instructors should know. Topics include fundamental principles of U.S. copyright law, rights reserved for instructors as content creators, and permissible use of copyrighted content in different teaching contexts.

At the completion of the course, participants should be able to utilize the resources and information provided to:

  • Recall the requirements for copyright protection;
  • Recognize the exclusive rights provided to a copyright owner;
  • Identify the copyright owner of a work;
  • Assess which statutory exceptions may permit an intended use of a copyrighted work;
  • Locate public domain and openly licensed works and summarize the conditions for the use of such works;
  • Evaluate whether an intended use may constitute fair use and explain the ways in which a fair use argument could be strengthened; and
  • Outline the process for seeking permission to use a copyrighted work.

To view a course description and subscribe (you’ll need to download iTunes), visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/copyright-in-the-classroom/id1071533208.

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By Maria Scheid, Rights Management Specialist at the Copyright Resources Center, The Ohio State University Libraries