Copyright Edition Volume 1, #2 Click here to see the first issue
of Educational Media, Volume 1, #1 “After all, isn’t there an
educational exemption in the copyright statutes?” Yes, there is.
But the educational exemption in US Code 17 (the copyright code)
is limited. Some things you can probably do: If you’re not quite
sure what you’re doing is within the law, look at section
107—Fair Use. (See the story below.) Trivia: Copyright first
appeared in China in 1042 AD, to protect the work “Nine Chinese
Classics". Fair use allows the public to use parts of a
copyrighted work for criticism, scholarship or teaching. Fair
Use is a balancing test. You review four factors and argue that
on balance, your use is fair. Essentially you are becoming your
own advocate. The four factors considered when arguing Fair Use
are: 1. The purpose of the use. Why are you making this copy?
For educational purposes? Courts are more likely to find a non-
profit educational use to be Fair Use. Or for commercial gain?
The courts tend to fi