Television, OCPS. keyboard1.jpg. 1998. Pics4Learning. 30 Jul 2004 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>
You have
just finished your first novel and seen it in print. It isn't on
the New York Times Best Seller list, but it is doing pretty well.
You didn't get any advance; you struggled to write it while you worked
at a laundromat just to pay the bills. Now you can pay off your
student loans, relax a
little bit, and plan your next book.
There is something bothering you, though. While surfing the Web you came across a forum where someone had posted huge sections of your book. YOUR BOOK! You want to get a lawyer or call your publisher, but you aren't sure if you have any rights. Now you have an email from some kids who are making a multimedia presentation for their English class. They want to use parts of your book in their presentation. It is great that they bothered to ask, but you aren't sure what to say. Is it different from what you saw in the chat forum? Some of your buddies down at the Artists Protecting Art group are just as confused. You need some answers!
Use these sites below to find the answers to your questions. Then take what you find to the next meeting of Artists Protecting Art.
Great General Information, Vocabulary, and a Quiz - Find Out What You Know (http://www.copyrightkids.org/)
Basic Answers to Simple Questions (http://www.cyberbee.com/cb_copyright.swf)
Copyright and Fair Use (http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter7/7-c.html)
Examples of Copyright Cases (http://www.benedict.com/)
Myths of Copyright and Fair Use (http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html)
What Teachers Need to Know about Fair Use and a Great Chart (http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#EXAMPLES%20OF%20WORKS)
Copyright on the Internet (http://www.legal-database.com/copyright-laws-internet-law.htm)
The Government on Copyright Law (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html )
There is something bothering you, though. While surfing the Web you came across a forum where someone had posted huge sections of your book. YOUR BOOK! You want to get a lawyer or call your publisher, but you aren't sure if you have any rights. Now you have an email from some kids who are making a multimedia presentation for their English class. They want to use parts of your book in their presentation. It is great that they bothered to ask, but you aren't sure what to say. Is it different from what you saw in the chat forum? Some of your buddies down at the Artists Protecting Art group are just as confused. You need some answers!
1.
Can you say "No!" to these
kids, or do they have some sort of
rights to use your words without your permission?
2. How much of your book can they use? One chapter? One paragraph? The best part at the end?
3. What are they allowed to do with this multimedia presentation once they've made it? Can they burn lots of disks and sell them? Give them away? Post them on the web?
4. Can they take part of your book and rewrite it using your characters and setting? Make a sequel to it? Make fun of it?
5. Do they have to put your name on it or can they just use it and never mention you at all?
6. Can they photocopy big chunks and pass them around in the class? Outside the school?
7. If the kids in school can do stuff with your writing, can everybody else do the same thing? Are there different laws for different uses? If the kids go home, can they just start quoting huge passages and sending them all over the country?
2. How much of your book can they use? One chapter? One paragraph? The best part at the end?
3. What are they allowed to do with this multimedia presentation once they've made it? Can they burn lots of disks and sell them? Give them away? Post them on the web?
4. Can they take part of your book and rewrite it using your characters and setting? Make a sequel to it? Make fun of it?
5. Do they have to put your name on it or can they just use it and never mention you at all?
6. Can they photocopy big chunks and pass them around in the class? Outside the school?
7. If the kids in school can do stuff with your writing, can everybody else do the same thing? Are there different laws for different uses? If the kids go home, can they just start quoting huge passages and sending them all over the country?
Use these sites below to find the answers to your questions. Then take what you find to the next meeting of Artists Protecting Art.
Great General Information, Vocabulary, and a Quiz - Find Out What You Know (http://www.copyrightkids.org/)
Basic Answers to Simple Questions (http://www.cyberbee.com/cb_copyright.swf)
Copyright and Fair Use (http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter7/7-c.html)
Examples of Copyright Cases (http://www.benedict.com/)
Myths of Copyright and Fair Use (http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html)
What Teachers Need to Know about Fair Use and a Great Chart (http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#EXAMPLES%20OF%20WORKS)
Copyright on the Internet (http://www.legal-database.com/copyright-laws-internet-law.htm)
The Government on Copyright Law (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html )