copyright considerations when making an online course

Whether your online course is 100% your work or it includes someone else’s already created materials, you need to think about copyright. Copyright protects the exclusive rights one has over their created content, such as: reproducing the work, making derivatives of it, distributing the work to the public, performing or displaying it publicly.

Full Answer

Can I use copyrighted material in my Distance Education course?

Here are some suggestions from Online Education Support to make any online course a "copyright friendly" environment: Whenever possible, link to a resource on the Web rather than copying it. Audio and video files should be streaming files rather than downloadable ones.

Can I copyright my eLearning content?

Jan 10, 2018 · How To Copyright Your E-Course . We’ve gone over registering a few different types of content; for example, photos and blog posts. What’s tricky about an e-course is that it’s not one type of content–it’s multiple types of content. What do you have in an e-course? You generally have a mix of some or all of the following: Video/Audio: The instructional meat of the e-course; …

Can I use content created by others without infringing on copyright?

Apr 18, 2022 · Using Third Party Materials in Online Courses. Instructors of online courses do not have the same copyright flexibility as those teaching face-to-face courses in the traditional classroom environment. There are additional precautions that instructors must take when creating an online course.

Can teachers use copyrighted material in class?

The Instructor's Right to Material Created Online. The course instructor holds the copyright to the material created specifically for his or her course, including the course videos. See the Policies for the Creation and Use of Online Course Materials for more information intellectual property related to online teaching.

How do I copyright an online course?

Is it legal to create an online video course based on a book?

Can you copyright a training course?

Are online lectures copyrighted?

Are course material copyright?

Can I use movie clips in my online course?

How do you protect online courses and video content?

How do I copyright a course material?

How can I protect my online content?

What is considered fair use of copyrighted material?

Can copyrighted material be used for educational purposes?

Can copyright infringement happen during remote learning?

Using copyrighted work in your online course

Presumably, every original and creative work you can find online is someone’s property. So if you want to include something that you didn’t create in your online course, you need permission from the owner to use it or change it, distribute it or display it, or in some cases you only need to give clear credit to the author.

Copyrighting your own work

Copyright in the case of online content creators is an avenue that goes both ways.

Final advice

Remember to respect others and their work if you want the same respect and recognition. It may not be the easy way, but it’s definitely the best way. Not everything we see online is ours to use. It takes approximately 120 years of existence for the work to be considered public domain.

Legal Benefits

If you file your copyright registration within 90 days of your content creation, you can bring a claim to the US Federal Court, and you can also file for statutory damages.

Monetary Benefits

Aside from the statutory damages, you’ll also be able to recover the revenue you’re losing to your pirates.

Mental Benefits

After spending so much time, money, and energy on creating an ecourse, it can be nerve wracking to think that anyone could steal it. With your content registered, you’ll have the ability to take action above and beyond just sending a takedown notice, which will give you some serious peace of mind.

Do online courses have copyright?

Instructors of online courses do NOT have the same copyright protections as those teaching physical face-to-face courses, so there are extra precautions you must take when creating an online course. Images, videos, audio, and text can all be meaningful additions to your course content.

What happens if you can't use public domain?

If you are unable to use public domain or openly licensed (e.g., Creative Commons) materials AND are unable to make a good fair use argument or use another copyright exception, you may need to get permission to reuse all or part of a work.

Readings

When considering including written sources in an open, online course please keep the following distinctions in mind:

Images

When considering including images in an open, online course, please keep the following distinctions in mind:

Other Materials

The use of the following materials may involve license fees, which may or may not be prohibitive:

Is eLearning content copyrighted?

Your eLearning content, when properly copyrighted, enjoys protection under the Copyright Law of the United States. The Copyright Act of 1976, as subsequently amended since then, offers lawful owners the rights to safeguard their creations and, where legally permitted, enjoy the benefits of those creations:

How many chapters are there in Title 17?

The Title 17 of the Copyrights act comprises of 13 chapters, each of which has multiple sections and sub-sections. While eLearning content designers are highly encouraged to go through the entire document (at their leisure!), you may be able to use the following tips, tricks and tools to start getting the most out of copyright protection instantly:

How long does copyright last?

Unless someone applies for an extension, copyright lasts for the life-span of the creator plus 70 years. After that, the work enters what we call the public domain. Anyone can freely use, copy, manipulate, and distribute works in the public domain without permission from the original copyright holder.

Why is copyright important?

Copyright law seeks to protect creators so that they can share their works with the public without fear of losing ownership of their creations. Instructors can feel similarly secure sharing copyrighted works with their students once they know the provisions under copyright law that allow them to do so.

Is the internet a blessing or a curse?

The availability of so much information on the Internet is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because you have a wide variety of resources you can include in your online classes, but it can be a curse if you don’t know how to include those resources legally and ethically. Although copyright and plagiarism concerns often seem confusing ...

Is plagiarism a legal issue?

Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else’s work and presenting it as your own without giving credit to the original creator. Plagiarism isn’t a legal issue and thus can be more subjective, but it is something that all academics must pay attention to when handling the work of others.

What is fair use?

Fair Use. Advantages: Fair use is a provision in copyright law that allows others to use portions of a copyrighted work for purposes of commentary and criticism (which is often the case in academic settings).

What are the advantages of copyright?

One of the advantages of copyright is that it allows for limited transfers of rights , and, as the original owners of a copyright, faculty members have the power to insist that the transfer of those rights be accompanied by protections for the free exchange of knowledge that is so critical to the profession.

What is Harvard University's policy?

Harvard University provides one good example of such a policy. Harvard asks its faculty members to deposit copies of their publications in its digital repository, Digit al Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH), and provides them with boilerplate addenda to add to their copyright contracts with publishers.

Who is Martha McCaughey?

Martha McCaughey is professor of sociology at Appalachian State University. Her research links gender, sexuality, technology, and privacy, and her publications include Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice and Cyberactivism 2.0: Case Studies of Activism on the Participatory Web.

What are the rights of copyright holders?

United States copyright law provides important exceptions to the rights of copyright holders that are specifically aimed at nonprofit educational institutions and libraries. Three provisions of the copyright statute are of particular importance to teachers and researchers: 1 Teachers and students have certain rights to publicly display and perform copyrighted works in the classroom ( Section 110 of U.S. Copyright Law ). 2 Libraries and archives have special exemptions for the reproduction of copyrighted works in some circumstances ( Section 108 of US Copyright Law ). 3 The " fair use " allows limited copying of copyrighted works without the permission of the owner for certain purposes, including teaching and research ( Section 107 of US Copyright Law ).

What is fair use in copyright?

The " fair use " allows limited copying of copyrighted works without the permission of the owner for certain purposes, including teaching and research ( Section 107 of US Copyright Law ). The fair use exception is purposefully broad and flexible, which may make some members of the UC community uncomfortable relying on it.

What is fair use?

The " fair use " allows limited copying of copyrighted works without the permission of the owner for certain purposes, including teaching and research ( Section 107 of US Copyright Law ).

What is fair use exception?

The fair use exception is purposefully broad and flexible, which may make some members of the UC community uncomfortable relying on it. To provide some assistance, the University of California offers the following guidance for fair use in teaching and research.

What is a single copy of a book?

A single copy generally may be made of any of the following for teaching purposes: A chapter from a book. An article from a periodical or newspaper. A short story, short essay or short poem, whether or not from a collective work. A chart, graph, diagram, cartoon, or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.

What is a summary of an article?

A summary of an article, with brief quotations. Reproduction of a small part of a work by a teacher or student to illustrate a lesson. Reproduction of a legislative report or judicial proceeding. Other considerations: You should not copy works intended to be "consumable" in the course of study or teaching.

What is the teach act?

Congress passed a law, known as the TEACH Act, that permits the use of copyrighted works for online and distance education in limited circumstances. The requirements for compliance are somewhat complex, and the TEACH Act should be considered as one of several options available to instructors when using copyrighted works in their distance education courses.