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chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
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 Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 11:21 pm Post subject: Starting a blog for my students... legal/copyright issues? |
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I'm thinking about starting a blog for my students. As it stands now, I prepare materials for them and email them out on Sundays prior to the new week. My lessons could probably be described as TOEFL-lite with elements of lexical dictation sprinkled in. To this end I use articles taken from the internet and re-formatted for ease and expediency of reading. I also use voice-overs/scripts from TV shows roughly 8 years old.
Would I be legally at risk for sharing this stuff in a blog? I mean, I'm not selling the information, right? I'm using what is readily available online from legitimate and legal sources for free to begin with for purposes of instruction. Shouldn't it be as legal as downloading a book from Project Gutenberg and sharing it?
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 2:05 am Post subject: Re: Starting a blog for my students... legal/copyright issue |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
I'm thinking about starting a blog for my students. As it stands now, I prepare materials for them and email them out on Sundays prior to the new week. My lessons could probably be described as TOEFL-lite with elements of lexical dictation sprinkled in. To this end I use articles taken from the internet and re-formatted for ease and expediency of reading. I also use voice-overs/scripts from TV shows roughly 8 years old.
Would I be legally at risk for sharing this stuff in a blog? I mean, I'm not selling the information, right? I'm using what is readily available online from legitimate and legal sources for free to begin with for purposes of instruction. Shouldn't it be as legal as downloading a book from Project Gutenberg and sharing it?
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From the sounds of your descriptions, most if not all of it would fall under "fair use" under various copyright conventions if used in an educational setting.
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Speck7
Joined: 05 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:30 am Post subject: Re: Starting a blog for my students... legal/copyright issue |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
I'm thinking about starting a blog for my students. As it stands now, I prepare materials for them and email them out on Sundays prior to the new week. My lessons could probably be described as TOEFL-lite with elements of lexical dictation sprinkled in. To this end I use articles taken from the internet and re-formatted for ease and expediency of reading. I also use voice-overs/scripts from TV shows roughly 8 years old.
Would I be legally at risk for sharing this stuff in a blog? I mean, I'm not selling the information, right? I'm using what is readily available online from legitimate and legal sources for free to begin with for purposes of instruction. Shouldn't it be as legal as downloading a book from Project Gutenberg and sharing it?
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rofl at going to all these lengths for a measly 2.2 mill. |
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chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, as they already agreed to change my schedule and I'm nearing re-hire if I boost enrollment then I can possibly negotiate a higher rate of pay (which is 2.3 not 2.2). I've crunched the numbers and they are barely making a profit on me as it stands. If not, I can re-purpose the blog at a later date and use it to pad my resume wherever I go. Not to mention it will save me from sending out 150 emails a week. Heck, maybe I'll even be able to make a little bit in advertising off the thing. |
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thegadfly
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| chaz47 wrote: |
| Well, as they already agreed to change my schedule and I'm nearing re-hire if I boost enrollment then I can possibly negotiate a higher rate of pay (which is 2.3 not 2.2). I've crunched the numbers and they are barely making a profit on me as it stands. If not, I can re-purpose the blog at a later date and use it to pad my resume wherever I go. Not to mention it will save me from sending out 150 emails a week. Heck, maybe I'll even be able to make a little bit in advertising off the thing. |
If you DO make money off of advertising, then the things you have posted that are not your own no longer fall under the heading of "fair use."
As a teacher, copyright laws actually come down on your side more often than not -- unless you start directly profiting from someone else's work.
If I make a set of lesson plans that use a Stephen King book as the text, and I sell the lessons without the text, I am fine -- the students would need to purchase the King text, and King would get his share of the profits. Also, if I photocopy just the portion of the novel I need to use for my lessons, and use that portion in my lessons in class, but I do not sell those lesson plans, I am also fine -- I am covered by fair use.
However, if I photocopy the portion I will use, and include it in the lessons that I am selling, then I am not longer in "fair use" territory.
If I give the lessons away for free on a site where I accept advertising revenue, then that is also considered selling my lessons -- advertisers give me money for my site because of its content, effectively (and legally) paying me for the content.
tl:dnr version
No advertisers or pay, other than your normal school salary for teaching a class, and you are most likely covered by "fair use." |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| and I sell the lessons without the text |
That's the key. What I do is have lessons written out (more for the teacher's sake, and then I refer to the content (text, pictures, or media file).
Then the content is only available in class, not online. This also saves the hassle of uploading everything. |
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JimDanDee
Joined: 05 Oct 2013
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| Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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It has bothered me for years that goodhearted people feel that it is fine to steal something if THEY do not profit from the theft. Or do they think it is not theft until profit is passed to someone else? I can not list the number of times I have had someone claim that it should be OK because "...I am not charging..."
Quit being so hung up on yourself. If intellectual property belongs to someone else it BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE and they are allowed to decide what is to be done with it.
That rant out of the way, yes there are exceptions (fair use in the classroom) which can make what you are doing perfectly legal and I applaud your actions as specified. But your 'not profiting' is but a minor consideration. And, since it falls under what you think is your job, you are profiting. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| JimDanDee wrote: |
It has bothered me for years that goodhearted people feel that it is fine to steal something if THEY do not profit from the theft. Or do they think it is not theft until profit is passed to someone else? I can not list the number of times I have had someone claim that it should be OK because "...I am not charging..."
Quit being so hung up on yourself. If intellectual property belongs to someone else it BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE and they are allowed to decide what is to be done with it.
That rant out of the way, yes there are exceptions (fair use in the classroom) which can make what you are doing perfectly legal and I applaud your actions as specified. But your 'not profiting' is but a minor consideration. And, since it falls under what you think is your job, you are profiting. |
Under the "fair use" act it is NOT legally stealing. Or are you using another definition of "stealing" than the law itself uses?
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Copyright_Act_of_South_Korea
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| Article 25(Use for the Purpose of School Education, etc.) (1) A work already being made public may be reproduced in textbooks to the extent deemed necessary for the purpose of education at high schools, their equivalents or lower level schools. |
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| (4) A person who intends to exploit a work pursuant to Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall pay compensation to the owner of author's property rights according to the criteria for compensation as determined and published by the Minister of Culture and Tourism. Reproduction, public performance, broadcasting or interactive transmission of a work done at high schools, their equivalents or lower level schools as prescribed under Paragraph (2) is not obliged to pay compensation. |
(bolding mine) |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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| If intellectual property belongs to someone else it BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE and they are allowed to decide what is to be done with it. |
How does a Subject, Verb, or Object belong to "SOMEONE ELSE"?
Sorry, I stole your apple (I ate an apple, oh no I stole a direct object!)
Sorry, I am taking your inviting crap (I stole the verb "invite")
Sorry, I changed seats and talked from MY perspective (I stole the subject) |
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chaz47
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| A quick question for the blog savvy, can I host a short video clip (~1 min.) via blogspot or would I have to link to an archive on Mediafire or Google Drive. |
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