Week #2 - Free Choice - Fair Use Explained

Fair Use

This week's WIMBA session provided a wealth of information.  In fact, it is the first WIMBA session I downloaded for future reference.   I had never heard the interpretation of Fair Use being a legal defensible position only if your lesson cannot be taught without the media you are using.  I have been teaching for over 20 years and that is the first time I have ever heard fair use interpreted that way.  It makes sense, however, every educator I have ever had a discussion with about copyright has interpreted fair use more liberally.  After participating in the Wimba session this week I realized I think every educator I know misinterprets the education use policy regarding copyright.

Considering the nature of the use as well as the amount being used was also good information regarding copyright.  It is interesting that parody is fair use while remix is not.  It seems like a fine line between the two.  Weird Al's parodies could be considered a remix.  It seems like this differentiation is just semantics. 

Home viewing vs. educational licensing is also an area of copyright that I need to look at in my classroom.  Our building does not have a library.  That leaves the options of borrowing from the other high school libraries, borrowing from the public library, or purchasing our own videos.  Most teachers in our building have created their own video libraries with movies relevant tot their lessons.  I have purchased many videos from Amazon, Borders, Target, and Meijers for use with my lessons.  While I was aware of the home licensing message at the start of the videos, I was under the impression that because I was using the media for educational purposes that it was considered fair use.  I understand now that this is not the case.

The best pieces of advice I am taking away from Tuesday's Wimba session are the suggestion to reach out to the artist for permission or search Creative Commons for artists that have already granted permission.  It was reassuring to know that several fellow Full Sail students have successfully obtained permission of artists to reuse their work.  If there is not time to obtain permission or the artist will not give permission, Creative Commons is a nice alternative for media that can be shared and reproduced.