Copyright

What's the deal with the © ?

What is copyright?

Why should you care about copyright?

What does copyright protect and what does it NOT protect?

What are works in the "public domain?"

What is "fair use?"

How can you avoid copyright infringement?

► Is it copyright infringement?
(interactive game)

Is it copyright infringement?

1.  You love the CD cover artwork from your favorite band's latest album. You download a photo of the artwork from the Internet, print it onto transfer paper, and make yourself a T-shirt. Your friends love the T-shirt, and you make several more, selling them at a small profit.  Is it copyright infringement?

2.  You are producing a short play you have written. One of the characters has a birthday during the course of the play, and you have written a scene in which five other characters sing "Happy Birthday to You" around a candle-covered birthday cake.  Is it copyright infringement?

3.  During your stint as a student teacher, you come across a great lesson plan in a library book. It includes sample worksheet pages, and you photocopy them to hand out to your students. The exercises work so well that you continue to photocopy the pages when you land your first teaching job the next year.  Is it copyright infringement?

4.  You are producing a website for your political science class. You find a political cartoon on the Web that is a perfect illustration of the divisive nature of a two-party political system. You capture the cartoon and place it on your website.  Is it copyright infringement?

5.  You rent your favorite movie at the local rental store. Because you want to watch it over and over again, you decide to simply make your own copy.  Is it copyright infringement?

6.  You record a program from the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). You show the film to your psychology class as part of a presentation.  Is it copyright infringement?

7.  You wake up one morning with a dream fresh in your mind. You believe the dream would make a great short story. You excitedly relay the entire dream to your roommate, complete with detailed descriptions. Two years later, you hear that your former roommate has published his first short story in a national periodical. When you read the story, you find it familiar; it is your dream.  Is it copyright infringement?

8.  You cover the governor's visit for your campus newspaper. You take careful notes, making sure to mark the best quotes. Afterward, you snag a few minutes of the governor's time, asking a well-prepared question while reporters from local professional media wait their turn. You are shocked to see the local newspaper's next-day story, which includes the answer the governor gave to YOUR question. While you have written your campus newspaper story, it will not appear in print until next week.  Is it copyright infringement?

9.  You write a skit, a parody of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, for a forum about same-sex marriage.  Is it copyright infringement?