Copyright in Education

Copyrighted materials can be used for teaching and learning under a concept called fair use.  Materials that are not protected under copyright may be in the public domain, which allows them to be used for teaching.  Creative Commons licensing is also being used to provide more rights to users of materials than traditional copyright.

Fair Use does have some limitations.  Not every educational use of copyrighted materials falls under fair use.  Teachers should also understand the concepts of public domain and learn about Creative Commons so they can make use of materials that fall into one of those categories.

The copyright resources on these pages have been selected to help librarians and teachers determine what materials they can use and how to apply fair use.  Resources explaining public domain and Creative Commons licensing are also included.

Purchasing a license 
The Copyright Clearance Center has been granted the role of licensee for many major publishers. Purchasing a license to use materials guarantees your usage is legal, but remember that educators may be able to claim fair use and legally use the materials without paying to license the content.