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Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide
Copyright continues to be a timely topic as technology makes determining who owns what more and more complex. Written by the leading copyright authority for libraries, Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide, Fifth Edition is a thoroughly updated version of the industry standard on copyright matters affecting schools.
Starting with an overview of copyright law, the book goes on to cover specific topics medium by medium, including print, software, music, video, multimedia, and more. It addresses new technologies in common use in schools and school libraries and also includes new cases and interpretations, statutory citations, guidance on best practices, and real life questions and answers to typical copyright dilemmas faced by schools. On the theory that preventing legal action is always simpler than defending it, the advice throughout is designed to enable schools to take advantage of their rights under copyright law, while avoiding the "bleeding edge" that may make them targets for copyright owners.
Starting with an overview of copyright law, the book goes on to cover specific topics medium by medium, including print, software, music, video, multimedia, and more. It addresses new technologies in common use in schools and school libraries and also includes new cases and interpretations, statutory citations, guidance on best practices, and real life questions and answers to typical copyright dilemmas faced by schools. On the theory that preventing legal action is always simpler than defending it, the advice throughout is designed to enable schools to take advantage of their rights under copyright law, while avoiding the "bleeding edge" that may make them targets for copyright owners.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2010
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 24, 2013
I wish some of the issues were more clear cut. For the most part, there is a lot of valuable resources presented within the text, and I will definitely be holding onto this as a resource in the future.
January 28, 2017
Clearly written and relatively concise, Simpson's Practical Guide offers just that for teachers and librarians looking to parse the finer points of copyright law. While the focus is largely on K-12 and school libraries, those in higher education and academic/public/special libraries will also find solid guidance here.
Simpson begins with an overview of the law (know thy enemy?), as well as an explanation of the public domain, licensed and royalty-free material, and fair use before launching into chapters addressing the use of specific types of materials (print, audiovisual,music materials, multimedia, software) with a bit about the internet and distance learning crammed in the middle for good measure.
Aside from the repetitive nature of the chapters, which are likely designed with the awareness that some people are only going to read the section they think pertains to their circumstance and not any of the context and thus tend to cover the same points over and over, the only weakness of Simpson's work is its age. The 5th edition was published in 2010, and while that does not render it unusable, it does make you seriously wonder how out of date her coverage of technological issues is. A quick googling reveals at least a couple of touch-ups to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and hey, speaking of Google, there may have been a couple of pertinent cases involving them in the last decade that would bear mentioning. So very slight buyer beware: the basics are thoroughly covered here, but there may be recent tweaks (additional exemptions? limitations? who knows?) that happened post-press.
Even with that caveat, Copyright for Schools is fantastically helpful for anyone attempting to navigate the vagaries of fair use. While not precisely scintillating reading, it more than makes up in utility what it lacks in dramatic flair.
Simpson begins with an overview of the law (know thy enemy?), as well as an explanation of the public domain, licensed and royalty-free material, and fair use before launching into chapters addressing the use of specific types of materials (print, audiovisual,music materials, multimedia, software) with a bit about the internet and distance learning crammed in the middle for good measure.
Aside from the repetitive nature of the chapters, which are likely designed with the awareness that some people are only going to read the section they think pertains to their circumstance and not any of the context and thus tend to cover the same points over and over, the only weakness of Simpson's work is its age. The 5th edition was published in 2010, and while that does not render it unusable, it does make you seriously wonder how out of date her coverage of technological issues is. A quick googling reveals at least a couple of touch-ups to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and hey, speaking of Google, there may have been a couple of pertinent cases involving them in the last decade that would bear mentioning. So very slight buyer beware: the basics are thoroughly covered here, but there may be recent tweaks (additional exemptions? limitations? who knows?) that happened post-press.
Even with that caveat, Copyright for Schools is fantastically helpful for anyone attempting to navigate the vagaries of fair use. While not precisely scintillating reading, it more than makes up in utility what it lacks in dramatic flair.
January 24, 2016
A textbook used for LIS 5313 Digital Media class at FSU Spring 2016 semester.
This was a great textbook. The writing was clear, concise, and in easy to understand language. The topic was divided into logical chapters with an excellent index included as well as a well constructed table of contents.
Highly recommended for anyone needing an introduction to copyright law.
This was a great textbook. The writing was clear, concise, and in easy to understand language. The topic was divided into logical chapters with an excellent index included as well as a well constructed table of contents.
Highly recommended for anyone needing an introduction to copyright law.
April 9, 2013
I would never willingly read this book, but I'm glad I have. I was so unaware of everything regarding copyright before this (except to admit that I have probably violated it a lot), and now I know a great deal. This is a comprehensive (and overwhelming) guide.
August 6, 2013
This book is comprehensive and easy to read. It relates all the aspects of copyright that apply to schools and presents it in an easy to understand format. The sidebar Q & A real life examples that are on the margins of every page provide a helpful insight and practicality to the book.
September 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews