This guide is not intended to replace the advice of legal counsel. The content of this guide is meant to be informative, but does not constitute legal advice. If you have further questions about copyright in your specific situation, please seek appropriate legal counsel.
Rules for Reproducing Text Materials in Class
Educational Fair Use Guidelines
Educational fair use guidelines pertain tomaterial used in educational institutions for educational purposes. These institutions include K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Educational purposes include:
Guidelines for Classroom Copying
The following guidelines are based on the Guidelines for Classroom Copying (1976), and can be found in Circular 21, produced by the United State Copyright Office.
Rules for Reproducing Text Materials in Class
Instructors may make one copy of any of the following: one chapter from a book, an article from a periodical or newspaper, a short story, short essay or short poem; a chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, periodical or newspaper. The number of copies distributed cannot exceed more than one copy per person, and a notice of copyright must be fixed to each copy. In order to meet standards for brevity, spontaneity, and cumulative effect, the guidelines below also applyin copying works:
Brevity
Poetry
Prose
Spontaneity
Cumulative Effect
In some instances, reproduction of materials is free from copyright rules. These include works without copyright including:
Created by Dan Nolting, Chatham University. Reused with permission.
Rules for Reproducing Music
The following guidelines are based on The Guidelines for Educational Uses of Music (1976), which can be found in Circular 21 produced by the United States Copyright Office.
Music instructors can make copies of sheet music or other printed works as long as the copies do not compose a performable unit, such as a an entire song, section, movement or aria. Any copies made cannot exceed more than 10% of the whole work and copies provided cannot exceed more than one per person.
A recording of a performance of copyrighted music may be made by a student for evaluation and rehearsal purposes with the institution or instructor retaining a copy. A single copy of a sound recording of copyrighted music owned by an educational institution or individual teacher may be made for the purpose of constructing aural exercises or examinations and the educational institution or individual teacher may keep a copy.
Instructors may not:
If copyrighted sheet music is out of print the instructor can request permission to reproduce it from the music publisher.
Created by Dan Nolting, Chatham University. Reused with permission.