Does your school have a copyright policy?
My district does not currently have a copyright policy. My superintendent and I will be writing one now based on this information. Our policy will focus on fair use and guide teachers through the questions they need to ask themselves to determine whether their use would qualify. From what I have seen, our staff already do follow these guidelines. The gray area would include the practice of having students watch the movie after reading the book. If the intent was for students to compare and contrast the two, then it is generally perceived to be fair use. If it is simply for entertainment, then fair use would probably not apply. Discussing the subtleties of the law should generate questions and thoughts regarding proper use. The increase in use of Digital content makes this tougher to track in schools, so education of staff is going to be the key. I think the copyright laws are important and schools should not abuse the fair use principles. This is also about staff modeling ethical behavior for our students.
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