Copyright for Educators: Copyright Basics

If you are an Edgewood faculty or staff member and are concerned about how copyright may affect the materials you use in the classroom, please know that the librarians are available for consultations. 

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States for original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural, and audiovisual creations.

“Copyright” literally means the right to copy. The owner of copyright has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and, in the case of certain works, publicly perform or display the work; to prepare derivative works; in the case of sound recordings, to perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission; or to license others to engage in the same acts under specific terms and conditions.

All members of the Edgewood community are expected to abide by copyright law. The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act of 2002 makes it easier for not-for-profit educational institutions to make use of electronic resources. In order to take advantage of the provisions, you will need to review and understand when material is in the public domain, and the rights and limitations of fair use. Fair use is NOT automatic because we are an educational institution and you may need to obtain permission from the copyright holder. This is often easier than you may think.

See the Copyright and your Dissertation section on the Dissertation Resources page of the research guide for the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.

Although written for distance education, the law has implications for the gamut of digital environments.