Some Cautions

The use of film scenes, music, and content found on the Internet during class falls under the fair use exemption in the Federal Copyright Act (Section 110.1, in the Federal Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17). The display of copyrighted materials during face-to-face teaching permits the instructor to show entire feature length films under most circumstances. The crucial distinction to understand is that the public showing of any media is narrowly defined for educational purposes and the instructor must take steps to ensure that the copyright holder's interests are protected. Placing copyright material on the Internet must comply with the fair use exemption. Recently the Register of Copyrights ruled that short portions of motion pictures may be incorporated into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment. Here is an interesting article from Inside Higher Education on the latest round of rules changes.