Copyright Law Student Discovery
This Google slide deck provides general information about copyright law and the public domain.
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Introduction
As part of your Multimedia Class you will be designing an electronic yearbook to give away to all of the students at Eastern Randolph High School. Knowing that there are copyright laws protecting various kinds of media, you all see the importance of familiarizing yourselves with the laws so that you can produce an entertaining and legal product.
Task
You need to find out what is allowable for students to use according to the copyright laws. Since Fair Use allows students some special allowances, you need to check out the on line resources to discover what can be legally included in your class project.
Process
Each person will be assigned a topic, which already has some questions developed for you to guide your research. As you search for these answers, you should also take notes. Each team will then prepare an attractive Publisher flyer. Each flyer needs to include the names of those who worked on it, the topic, at least four points about your topic, 2-4 pictures and bibliography information for all of your sources.
Music
1. You surveyed ERHS students and found out their favorite
songs of the year. Can you include a list of top five songs in the yearbook?
Can you add the music? Why or why not?
2. You have an audio clip of a song the band played. Ms.
Perez legally acquired the rights to perform the song. Can you include it?
Explain.
Videotape
1. The ERHS cheerleaders performed to a song at the basketball
games. Ms. Kivett has legally acquired the rights to the song. One of the
girl's parents videotaped it. Can we use it? Explain.
2. You videotaped the talent show. You want to include some
of the performances. Can you? Explain.
Characters/Comics
1. You surveyed ERHS students and found their favorite
cartoon characters. Can you include a list of their names? Can you include
clips of shows containing the top 3 characters? Explain.
2. One especially creative WJH student writes comic strips.
Can you include these? Why or why not?
Film
and TV
1. With YouTube being so popular, you surveyed ERHS students
to find out their favorite videos. Let's pretend they are all school
appropriate. Can you include them? Explain.
2. Can you include a list of the top movies and TV shows of
the year? Why or why not?
Print:
Literature, Magazines, Newspapers
1. You asked Ms. Mills for a list of the most-checked-out
books of the year. Can you include a list of them?
2. The whole school read The Revealers. Can you
scan the book and include it? Explain.
Photography
and Art
1. For Mrs. Wright's art class, you were to create a
sculpture of a face. One student chose Shrek. You want to take a picture of
this and include it in the yearbook. Can you?
2. A photographer from the Daily Herald took pictures at the cross
country meet and included one in the newspaper. Can you scan this picture and
use it? Explain.
Conclusion
You realize that some of the pieces of media that you would
really like to add to the yearbook do not fall under the Fair Use guidelines.
Compose a draft of a letter to the owner of the media asking permission to use
it in the school yearbook.
Resources