Computer Science
Grade 7
20 min
Copyright and Fair Use
Copyright and Fair Use
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define copyright, intellectual property, and public domain.
Explain the purpose of copyright law in protecting creators.
Identify the four factors used to determine fair use.
Analyze a real-world scenario to decide if it is likely an example of fair use.
Explain the difference between copyright infringement and plagiarism.
Demonstrate how to properly attribute, or give credit to, an original creator.
Ever found the perfect song for your video project or the coolest image for a presentation online? 🎵 Can you just use it?
In this lesson, we'll explore the rules for using other people's creative work, a concept called copyright. We'll also learn about a special exception called fair use, which allows you to use content in certain situations....
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
CopyrightA legal right that gives the creator of an original work (like a photo, song, or computer program) exclusive control over how that work is used and distributed.J.K. Rowling has the copyright to the Harry Potter books, so only she and her publishers can decide to print and sell them.
Intellectual Property (IP)Creations of the mind that can be owned, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, and code.The code you write for a game, a song you compose, and the design for a new app are all your intellectual property.
Public DomainCreative works that are not protected by copyright and are free for anyone to use for any purpose without permission.The plays of William Shakespeare and the music of Beethoven are in the public domain because th...
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Core Syntax & Patterns
The Four Factors of Fair Use Test
1. Purpose and character of the use. 2. Nature of the copyrighted work. 3. Amount of the work used. 4. Effect of the use on the market.
This is not a simple checklist, but a set of four guidelines that are weighed together to determine if something is fair use. You should think through these factors whenever you use someone else's work without direct permission.
Automatic Copyright Protection Rule
if (work is original AND is fixed in a tangible medium) then work is copyrighted;
As soon as someone creates something original (a drawing, a story, a piece of code) and saves it in a physical or digital form (on paper, in a file), it is automatically protected by copyright. No special registration is needed.
Proper Attribution Pattern
&...
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
A musician creates a remix of a popular song. They add their own original beats and lyrics, changing the song's meaning, and post it online for free, giving full credit to the original artist. Which statement BEST analyzes this situation?
A.This is legal because they gave attribution to the original artist.
B.This is likely copyright infringement because a remix is a derivative work that requires permission.
C.This is definitely fair use because the new work is transformative and free.
D.This is legal because the song is now in the public domain.
Challenging
A student needs a photo of a cat for a school project website. Which of the following actions is the MOST ethical and legally safe approach?
A.Find any cat photo on Google Images and use it, adding 'credit: Google' at the bottom.
B.Take a photo of their own cat with their own camera.
C.Find a professional cat photo online and use it, but change the colors from black to orange.
D.Use a search engine's tools to filter for images with a Creative Commons license, then use one and provide proper attribution.
Challenging
How does the 'Effect of the use on the market' factor become more critical when a perfect digital copy of a painting can be made instantly?
A.It becomes more critical because a free, perfect copy directly competes with the original artist's ability to sell prints or licenses.
B.It becomes less critical because digital copies are not as valuable as the original painting.
C.It has no impact, because fair use is only about the purpose of the use, not the market.
D.It becomes more critical because it is harder to track how many copies are being made.
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