Technology+Report

==Copyright Issues in Technology ==

“For school and district administrators today, copyright should be front and center on the agenda” (Davidson, 2005). Copyright is a form of protection for both published and unpublished work that protects the author of that work. Copyright laws are detailed and can be difficult to understand. With the increasing amount of technology usage in the education system, it is imperative that school district employees, especially teachers and administrators, are aware of what copyright entails.

Understanding copyright laws give school district employees a great deal of power (Davidson, 2005). Knowing that permission is needed to use copyrighted material and not simply acknowledging the source in ones work, is very beneficial and can keep a district within the law. The best practice is to ask for permission. The worst possible reply is no (Simpson, 2008). The best way to lead is by example. Teachers need to be informed of copyright laws, so they can abide and encourage their students to do the same. Administrators should have faculty sign a copyright compliance agreement, make sure that all AV material shown to students relates to the curriculum and remember that the administrator who knows copyright is being violated is also liable (Simpson, 2008).

“It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the owner of the copyright” (The Library of Congress, 2008). What rights are provided by the copyright law to the owner? Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act gives the owner the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following: to reproduce the work in copies, to prepare derivative works based upon the work, to distribute copies and to perform the work publicly, to name a few (Library of Congress, 2008). However, there are limitations to these rights. One major limitation is the doctrine of “fair use”. Teaching, scholarship, criticism, news reporting, comment and research can all be considered fair use, provided they meet the four factors set forth by Section 107 of the Copyright Law (U.S. Copyright Office, 2009). For more details visit. [] .

There are five steps that administrators can follow to avoid copyright problems. They are create and implement a technology policy that includes a code of ethics and set of procedures, review the entire policy with your educational community: students, teachers and parents, appoint a technology manager to conduct audits and maintain a log of licenses and registration materials, teach ethical and legal behavior for technology use and thank employees and students for supporting these steps (Davidson, 2005). It is never too late to educate district employees on copyright laws. Everyone should be aware of the law and the consequences of breaking it.

References : Davidson, H. (2005). Copyright Primer for Administrators. Technology & Learning , 25(11), S2-S8.

Simpson, C. (2008). Copyright Do’s and Don’ts for Schools . Retrieved from <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">[]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Library of Congress. (2008). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Copyright Basics <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Retrieved from <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">[]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">U.S. Copyright Office. (May 2009). <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Copyright/Fair Use <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Retrieved from <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">[]