Using Images/Video/Music
in Multimedia Presentations:
What are the Guidelines and Where Can I Find Pictures?
(See also the Creating Effective Pamphlets link and Using Audio link on the library navigation menu.)
I'm not a Copyright Lawyer, so let me just say that I make no attempt at providing legal consultation, but as a librarian, I have a great respect for copyright issues. These recommendations are based on the research I have done on this topic and are being given here to help aid you in using information for classroom projects in an ethical manner.
Here is a good article on Web Permissions. This really explains why we can't just use whatever we want if we find it online.
You should now have a better understanding of the issue.
Keep in mind that what you can do for a classroom exercise changes once you decide to make it public, that is, outside the classroom for face-to-face teaching purposes.
If you decide to post your project online, you are no longer meeting the face-to-face requirement that allows so much freedom for educational Fair Use and you will be subject to a different standard for copyright.
One of the first things to do when considering using Images or Video or Music (lyrics or sound) or Text is to ask
Is the work in Public Domain?
How can you obtain Permission to use these materials if they are not in the public domain or are protected by copyright?
- Check with the Web site owner or copyright holder, if it is listed.
- Many sites are using materials in a lawful way and can grant permission to use their materials.
- Many sites have built in ways to find this information.
- Permission can be granted by email, mail, or by a phone call. Be sure to document who you spoke with, when, and what the conversation entailed.
- Be specific about your intention for the project. For instance, let the owner know you will use it in school, at the Art Show at the end of the year, and you plan to submit it to colleges as part of your portfolio. Also, let them know if you plan to make a copy for yourself and your teacher, as that is not covered if the work is not all your own creation.
Key points to remember:
Fair Use is designed to protect these key copyright holder rights:
Reproduction
- Adaptation
- Distribution
- Public Performance
- Public Display
- Digital Transmission
Students may keep their creations forever, teachers may keep their own created works with copyrighted materials for two years.
Where can I find materials to use in my projects?
Now that you know what you can do and need to do, here are some possible sources. Remember, it never hurts to ask for permission. As a student, you have a better chance of securing permission than when you are no longer under an educational institution's auspices.
Creative Commons - This web site links you with all sorts of sites and even lets you give others permission to use your own original work.
Library of Congress - Many of the collections give easy access to who owns the rights to a document you may want to use. The Library of Congress knows copyright and won't steer you wrong!
Special requirements for multimedia presentations:
- INCLUDE A DISCLAIMER at the beginning of multimedia projects stating
The following presentation contains copyrighted materials used under the Multimedia Guidelines and Fair Use Exemptions of US Copyright Law. Further use is prohibited.
- INCLUDE A LIST OF REFERENCES AT THE END OF YOUR PROJECT and include a reference to the work in the document. For example, if I took a picture that you used in your project, include Finlayson 2006 near the image.
- INLCUDE the following info in your Works Cited/Reference List:
- author
- title
- publisher
- date of publication
- copyright symbol
- year of first publication
- name of the copyright holder
See Simpson 111 for details.
For more information on copyright in schools, I recommend:
Simpson, Carol. Copyright in Schools: A Practical Guide. 4th Ed. Worthington: Linworth, 2005.
Harper, Georgia K. The UT Crash Course in Copyright. Univerity of Texas. 2001. 14 Dec 2006
IntellectualProperty/cprtindx.htm>.
