Educational fair use allows the use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes, including in lessons, curriculum materials, and student work. It has five key principles: 1) using copyrighted works in media literacy lessons, 2) incorporating them into curriculum materials, 3) sharing curriculum materials, 4) allowing student use in academic work, and 5) developing audiences for student work. Creative Commons licenses provide legal means to share, remix, and reuse digital content, aiming to realize the full potential of the internet through universal access to research, education, and culture. They allow simple selection of license terms that both protect content and fit creators' needs. Major organizations and websites use Creative Commons licenses.

1. CEducational Fair Use & Creative CommonsBy Wendy Brown

2. Understanding the Terms Educational Fair Use is the interpretation of Fair Use policies in direct relation to the use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes only.©Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3. Edu. Fair Use can be broken into 5 principles:2. Employing copyrighted material in preparing curriculum materials1. Employing copyrighted material in media literacy lessons3. Sharing media literacy curriculum materials4. Student use of copyrighted materials in their own academic work5. Developing audiences for student work

4. 1. Employing copyrighted material in media literacy lessonsThis principle pertains to the use of media such as television news, advertising, movies, pictures, magazine and newspaper articles.What educators can doEducators can use concepts and techniques of media literacy from copyrighted sources and make them available to others, in classroom workshops, informal teacher mentoring settings.LimitationsEducators should use only what is necessary for the project or lesson. In other words using only clips or short segments of materials where appropriate. An effort should be made to site materials and give proper credit where possible.

5. 2. Employing copyrighted material in preparing curriculum materialsThe use of copyrighted materials in creating lesson plans, classroom materials and tool kits. What Educators can doEducators can integrate copyrighted material into curriculum material. This can include books, workbooks, podcasts, DVD compilations, videos and websites.LimitationsWhen ever possible Educators should responsibly site the material used and how its use is pertinent to the lesson.

6. 3. Sharing media literacy curriculum materialsThis describes the sharing of materials at conferences and continuing educational programs.What Educators can doEducators are able to share lessons and other curriculum related information even if it includes copyrighted materials.LimitationsEducators need are responsible for ensuring that all materials used, are directly related to the facilitation of learning for a particular subject or topic. Curriculum developers should seek permission from copyright owners when used for promotional purposes.

7. 4. Student use of copyrighted materials in their own academic workStudents often use copyrighted material to learn new media literacy skills. They will often create derivatives of copyrighted material.What students can doStudent can incorporate excerpts from copyrighted material in their own work for educational purposes such as comment & criticism, illustration, and discussion.LimitationsThe use of copyrighted material in student work should be to stimulate learning and creativity - not act as a substitute. Students are responsible for using copyrighted material only where it pertains to the lesson or project. It is not intended as a means for students to exploit its popular appeal.

8. 5. Developing audiences for student workEducators may create projects where students are encouraged to distribute work that includes copyrighted material.What Educators / Students can doStudents, with the direction of educators, can release work that contains portions or derivatives of copyrighted material to other audiences through mediums including the internet, email and list serves.LimitationsThe sharing of a student’s work should be conservative and limited to only the necessary audience. Students or educators seeking to distribute media to the masses containing copyrighted material should seek approval from the appropriate copyright holders.

9. Understanding the Terms Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that has developed and supports legal means to share, remix and reuse digital material.Image: TCJ2020 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10. The Goal of Creative Commons“Our vision is nothing less than realizing the full potential of the Internet – universal access to the research, education, full participation in culture, and driving a new era of development, growth and productivity.”- http://creativecommons.org/aboutImage: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

11. The creative commons licensing is a layered approach that allows teachers to answer a few simple questions and create a license that fits their needs while having their content protected by the legal layer.Advantage: Creative Commonshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/

12. Creative Commons is used by individuals and large corporations alike.ExamplesFlickrGoogleNine Inch NailsMIT Open Course WarePublic Library of ScienceWikipediaWhitehouse.govList and image provided by: http://creativecommons.org/who-uses-cc

13. Creative CommonsWhere to find out moreHow to create your own license: Http://creativecommons.org/choose/Details and License types: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/