Create 3.1.2 – Fair Use and the TEACH Act Quest

Fair Use and the TEACH Act are important acts that I had no clue existed until completing this quest. The media specialist at my school of the past 4 years was always complaining about finding excerpts of textbooks and other copyrighted material on the copy machine. She was continually "getting onto" us in faculty meetings about how we were infringing upon copyright. I had no clue that, in fact, as long as we were using those excerpts and other copyrighted materials in our classrooms, then we were in line with the Fair Use Act and TEACH Act. It can sometimes be difficult to determine the fine line between what is ok to use and what is infringement, but there are 4 questions an educator can ask herself to help with making the decision:

1. The purpose and character of the use
2. The nature of the work
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the work as a whole
4. The effect of the use on the market or potential market for the original work

I am very glad to learn about the Fair Use Act and the TEACH Act. As an educator, it helps to know that I can look online for things to use in my classroom that will help me deliver high-quality lessons to my students without infringing upon copyright laws.