What Teachers Need To Know About Fair Use

The full report is available from The Center For Social Media.
"This document is a code of best practices that helps educators using media literacy concepts and techniques to interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances —especially when the cultural or social benefits of the use are predominant."

That's what the disclaimer at the top of this blog is all about. The point is, of course, that copyright law permits a wide range of uses of copyrighted material without permission (or payment) and this report helps educators create a consensus around the interpretation of what FAIR USE is. Following the lead of documentary filmmakers (Bound By Law) this is the best way to ensure that educators can resist and oppose stringent interpretations of copyright law, especially those that have a negative and restrictive impact on the cultural and social uses of media material.