Copyright law covers any original works found on the internet. While some seek to make more works freely available through partnerships with libraries, longstanding copyright laws still restrict access to many works. Efforts are being made to identify works in the public domain and to make "orphan works" whose owners can't be found more available. As educators, it's important to understand fair use and when permission is needed to use copyrighted materials in teaching. The TEACH Act provides additional rights for educational uses, but one should also consider implied and express licenses as well as the four fair use factors to avoid infringement and penalties. Seeking permission from rights holders is recommended when other options don't apply.

1. Copyright © An introduction to Elementary Teachers presented by Conrado Gonzalez

3. Corporations partnering with libraries in an effort to digitalized and make available, thousands of works for the public. Conversely, long term copyright laws keep many of these works unavailable to the public at large.

11. But there is hope in great part for the organized efforts yielding for instance Fair Use Best Practices statement and the availability of material with Creative Commons licenses.

14. Works in the public domain

15. Freeware

16. US Government works

17. Facts

20. Use a work as the basis for a new work

21. Electronically distribute or publish copies

22. Publicly perform music, prose, poetry, a drama, or play a video or a CD-ROM.

25. Making copies for library patrons

27. Images archives

28. Creative uses

30. What is the nature of the work to be used?

31. How much of the work will you use?

34. Although these apply mostly to face-to-face instruction there are efforts to extend these rights to distance learning.

35. It is promising that these rights together with fair use will greatly enable, effective distance education.