Copyright & Fair Use

The comic Tales from the Public Domain Bound by Law? Trapped in a Struggle she didn't understand illustrates the fictional story of a documentary filmmaker attempting to understand Copyright & Fair Use laws in the United States.

The first thing I learned was the difference between Fair Use and Copyright regulations. Fair Use gives people limited rights to protecting and using other people's work. Copyright protects the creator's work, unless the user gets permission from the creator. The purpose of an end project also determines the severity of Copyright & Fair Use regulations. If the purpose is strictly for educational instruction, the work may be used unobstructed. If the user is seeking monetary gain from the work, the original creator can intervene and demand payment. The final point is the admission that Copyright & Fair Use covers a broad array of interests with different rules for each interest.

I will admit openly that this did not help me understand Fair Use & Copyright at all. If anything, I know less after reading this comic compared to before. In response, I have decided to focus on the parts applicable to the teaching profession. If I am using something for the purpose of education, all I have to do is appropriately cite it. It is highly unlikely that I will try to sell something from my lessons, so I can avoid the commercial regulations altogether. I also can not claim that I created the work, which would infringe upon the original creator's rights.