One of the more important limitations is the doctrine of “fair use.” The doctrine of fair use has developed through a substantial number of court decisions over the years and has been codified in section 107 of the copyright law.
Requirements for the use of copyright-protected content in distance education:
· Be an accredited, non-profit educational institution.
· Develop and implement copyright policies.
· Provide students with information on copyright laws and compliance.
· Notify students that course materials may be subject to copyright protection.
· Use technical controls that limit access to copyright-protected content to enrolled students and that prevent storage and dissemination of copyright-protected works.
Permitted uses of copyright-protected content in the distance education:
· Performances of non-dramatic literary and musical works.
· Performances of "reasonable and limited portions" of any other type of work.
This is a Fair Use checklist which needs to be used prior to using any copyright material without the generally required permission.