Myths About Copyright

Following are some explanations faculty members might give as to why the copies they made comply with the "Fair Use" provisions of copyright law. Unfortunately, each is a myth.

Consulting the "Fair Use Checklist" before you copy a document will help you avoid these myths.

I don't charge for the copies.

I am using the copy in the classroom.

The book is out of print.

My presentation to the community group is educational.

I'm giving the author free publicity when I distribute his/her work.

I don't know who owns the copyright.

I don't know how to contact the author.

I contacted the author but she/he did not respond.

The author's fee is exorbident.

Everything on the Internet is in the public domain.

Copying graphics is different than copying text.

A photograph or digitized image of something in the public domain may be freely copied.

It's a student paper and I took their name off it.

I acknowledged the source on the copy.

The original document did not have a copyright symbol on it.

I know the character is copyrighted, but it is my story line.

Copyright violation is not a crime.




Return to Copyright Homepage

Steven L. Berg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English and History
Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty
Livonia, MI 48152
734-462-4400
sberg@schoolcraft.edu

This page was last updated on 4 November 2007.