This book is all about gaining a greater understanding of how copyright works and what the copyright laws mean for educators. I admit that I only had a marginal understanding of this topic before reading this book, so I found it very helpful.
The author proposes that teachers usually fall into two categories regarding copyright use; they either "see no evil" and do whatever they want or they hyper comply with the rules.
For most of my teaching career, I've had such a limited understanding of copyright laws that I've swung between both extremes.
One of the most helpful components of the book was when Hobbs asserted that the easiest way to determine fair use is to think about your purpose when using copyrighted material.
Is it to pass it off as your own?
To save money so that you don't have to buy it?
YES = DON'T USE THE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
Or is is to educate your students and transform it in some way?
YES = SAFE TO USE THE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
Hobbs mentions her website and a music video that she created that further explains copyright. I found it very helpful... further proving that anything set to music is easier to learn. You can find the video here.
As a music teacher, I try to be mindful of using photocopies of music and respecting the copyright and fair use laws. I found this book to be very impactful as I move forward with allowing copyright to benefit me as an educator.
Hey Kim! Those questions are a perfect way of thinking about it and makes the whole 'fair use' thing much easier to understand. That video has a quick clip about jazz - it got me thinking about the Fake Books (the huge compilations of jazz standards) and made me wonder how they got around the copyright rules for all those tunes.
ReplyDeleteHey Kim! I want to secon Stacey's comment. That binary you've set up here do simplify this issue quite a bit, and make it easier to understand.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you guys sit on the issue of photocopied sheet music? What are the rules there? If you buy a book of sheet music and photocopy the pages to create a class set for your kids - is that considered fair use? What did you think about this before you read Hobbs' book versus after you read it?
Hi Kim! I noticed the link to the music video and listened to it as well. I feel like printing out the lyrics and having my staff sing along to it at the next faculty meeting. Many of us are misinformed regarding copyright, and I know much of the staff expects me to teach the lessons surrounding copyright and citing sources. Won't they be surprised if my principle likes the idea of having the staff read it next summer as part of our professional reading!
ReplyDeleteHi Guys,
ReplyDeleteZack- I will photocopy a song that I've found on the internet or legally purchased online. The purchase allows me to photocopy. I won't photocopy music out of a book, although now I'm wondering if that would be allowed under fair use. I guess my thinking is that each of those books cost $7.00-$10.00 (depends) and if I copy a song out of it, I really am avoiding paying for a class set. I have no idea if that is correct thinking... that's just the way that I do it. It's possible that copying songs that I've purchased on the internet violates copyright law, as well.