What might be considered “fair use” in the educational context?
Guidelines on the use of certain types of copyright protected works in the classroom were published as part of the legislative history of the Copyright Act of 1976. The Conference on Fair Use made an attempt to negotiate guidelines for use of copyright protected materials in distance learning, multimedia, image and electronic reserve by eliciting the comments of legal scholars, lawyers, politicians, copyright owners and other interested parties. But these guidelines are long and complex, none of the participants were satisfied with them, and they will not serve as a “safe harbor” against litigation. It is also important to note that fair use guidelines in the educational context do not necessarily translate into a “safe harbor” for purposes other than education. Ultimately, it is important to be reasonable when using copyright protected materials, and the adapted version of the various guidelines provided below can assist you with determining what is reasonable. If you have more questi
