Copyright Law and the Leadership Classroom: A Primer

For many educators the fair use provision of the Copyright Act of 1976 and the subsequent Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act offer carte blanche use of various forms of media in the classroom. As Siva Vaidhyanathan (2001) notes, “Copyright myths have had as much power as copyright laws” (p. 5). The copyright carte blanche idea is undoubtedly not so. Copyright laws are filled with nuances that educators should respect in order to maintain both the scholarly and academic integrity of their classrooms. It is the responsibility of the educator to know and understand copyright laws as they apply to educational settings. “Lack of intent to infringe [on copyright law] is not a defense to copyright infringement – nor is ignorance of the copyright law” (Brigham Young University, 2005).