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Copyright
Many in the education community have used print and non print resources in their class instruction by observing the “Fair Use” clause of the U.S. Copyright Law. These four criteria have enabled faculty and libraries to use reasonable amounts of print materials that are authoritative, useful, and timely for their classroom instruction. However, copyright law does not apply in the same way in the arena of online resources licensed under contract law or in the distance learning classroom. Until recently, copyright law and various guidelines that applied to the traditional face-to-face classroom did not apply in the same way in the online environment.
In 2003, Congress passed the TEACH Act which allows the use of print and digital materials in an online course as long as the institution subscribes to a specific set of criteria. It is necessary that all faculty become knowledgeable of copyright law whether their instruction is in a face-to-face or online classroom. Many issues have not been tested in the courts, leaving limited guidance for educators but ignorance is not defensible. Failure to comply with copyright law and license terms places the institution and faculty member at legal risk. To assist you in gaining this knowledge, the library has developed a Web page of resources and informative tutorials at http://ucl.broward.edu/guides/intlprop.htm.
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