“There is no simple formula, but the more boxes you tick under ‘favoring fair use’ and the less you tick under ‘opposing fair use,’ the safer you are.” http://umwdtlt.com/copyright-for-instructors/
This quote reflects the theme that a lot of copyright rules provide no easy way to determine what you can use, you just have to ensure that whatever resource you are using adheres to all the rules that apply to it. I remember learning about copyright in high school, and found it rather intimidating to navigate all the rules of fair use, public domain, etc. However, looking at this challenge in determining what I can and can’t use through the lens of a future teacher who will frequently be faced with the, ‘can I use this?’, question when collecting resources for my students, I see great reward in taking the time to determine what it is that I’ll be able to cite, reproduce, or present to my students in the future. Though copyright can be hard to navigate, it is not impossible, and taking the time to find flexibilities in the seemingly rigid copyright rules can allow for better use of resources in the classroom and more rich instruction.
“Copyright protection also doesn’t cover facts, ideas, or theories, which has important ramifications for the collection of data. While the facts of data are not subject to copyright, their organization may be.” https://pitt.libguides.com/copyright/publicdomain
This statement, which wasn’t heavily elaborated on in the reading, makes me curious about how this rule of copyright came about. I am curious about when and why copyright was created, and if in the beginning, you could copyright things like facts and data findings? Though it makes perfect sense that this type of knowledge cannot be copyrighted for the sake of progress in data collection and research, it’s not something I would have thought of!
“In a university, the library is the best place to start when navigating this issue.” http://umwdtlt.com/copyright-for-instructors/
I think utilizing the library to better understand what can and cannot be used in the academic world according to copyright rules is a great idea! I think this point is worth exploring because the reading just briefly noted that university libraries can often help you navigate copyright, and I would absolutely consider consulting my librarian for help both in the field of history and education, as copyright regulations will likely be consistent challenge points for me in both of those roles of my future career. I have learned quite a bit about what my library can do to help me with research recently, and I’m grateful to know of, and plan to explore in the future, this other way the library can help me research and present better!
