When using content from the internet, who actually owns the material? Is it owned at all? If it is owned, how is it allowed to be used? What is considered fair usage? Many people never think of these kinds of issues. Whoever owns it must be who put it out there. However there have been a variety of court cases on just this topic. Writers, artists, and other individuals want to protect their work.
Often if it is for educational purposes, the rules are a bit more lax than if it was for a business that was profiting off the information. However, if I purchase a book and scan it and post portions or the entire thing online for educational purpose, I am stealing money from the author because people are accessing the work for free without purchasing the book. In classes, there are course sites that allow the teacher/instructor to put materials online. These are often locked and restricted only to use within the classroom. It's similar to giving a photocopy handout in class.
There are resources out there that help to navigate the sticky and often confusing world of legal/ethical issues regarding material use. This website includes information about various sites that offer free materials including college materials (make sure to scroll past the large ad at the top of the page asking you to find a school online) and you can end up on a site like this that has free lectures and other information. While this is something that is being given in a college classroom, this material - like most other needs to be fact checked. There is an assumption of correctness and truth, but there is really no way to ensure that this is high quality and accurate information. Other sites like Google Books categorizes books. Some are free, like those here and others give you links to places that you can purchase the book. One great thing about Google Books is the ability to search within a book. For example this random book about teaching. In the picture (below) the red arrow points to where you can search. Pick whatever keyword you are interested in. The right shows where the keyword was found and the text right around it. Sometimes you can view the whole page. It's really helpful to weed out books that come up in a keyword search but have little to do with your topic. On the left you can purchase the book and if an e-book was available, there would be a link.
The takeaway point of this is that you need to be careful. You need to be careful that you do not get into legal trouble for using something and violating copyright law. You need to be careful that you are not taking something from the author and distributing it, which is stealing money from that individual who worked hard to produce that work. You need to be careful that you make your students aware of what is free use and what isn't so that they don't run into the same moral/legal/ethical issues that could impact them in the future.
Some work is out there for free. Be careful of the country you are pulling from too. Different countries have different copyright laws. Just because it is fair usage and free to use in say Canada or Russia doesn't mean that it has been long enough for the US copyright to expire. The best way to protect yourself is to go through large name sites, such as Google Books or Creative Commons if you aren't sure. Be careful about what you post online or to a class webpage - if it is an open page, other people can have access and you are mass distributing the materials. Use resources such as Open Library where the usage has already been determined. The worst thing that someone can do is lack an understanding of copyright or fair use and then to distribute materials in the name of education. There are legal/ethical avenues to the materials. As educators, we are ethically responsible for ensuring that our lessons are accurate, timely, valid, and consists of legally collected materials.
This website is from the US copyright offices states regarding fair use for educational purposes that it is a fine line. "The distinction between what is fair use and what is infringement in a particular case will not always be clear or easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission." This is good advice to keep in mind. Always use free first. If you are using copyrighted materials - use caution and common sense. Consider contacting the owner of the materials - such as the publisher, author, journal, or studio to ask permission for your specific use.
You've made many valid points regarding open content and ethics. When my students find information on the internet, they automatically assume the information is true. They are quick to defend the information, not considering that they may not be looking at a primary, or even secondary, resource. This is something that must be focused on in our schools.
ReplyDeleteI love how you've highlighted the keyword search feature in Google Books. I missed this feature as I was exploring the site. I will use this feature and share it with my students, also.
I didn't consider the difference between free HERE and free in other countries. The assumption is often made that free is free. It is a great suggestion to contact the owner of materials you want to use and ASK permission. Students never think to do this. If a person is unknown, they assume the answer will be no, if they even consider asking at all. A good lesson in communication is present in the opportunity to contact a publisher and ask permission.