Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia

(Adopted by U.S. Congress 1996)

These guidelines apply to the use, without permission, of portions of lawfully acquired copyrighted works in educational multimedia projects which are created by educators or students as part of a systematic learning activity by nonprofit educational institutions. The Fair Use document can be found in its entirety at http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/ccmcguid.htm.

Here is a summary of the important points:

1. Motion Media: May use up to 10% of the work or 3 minutes, whichever is less

2. Music, Lyrics, and Music Video: May use up to 10% of the work or 30 seconds, whichever is less

3. Text Material: May use up to 10% of the work or 1000 words, whichever is less

4. Illustrations & Photographs: May use five images or less by a single artist or photographer; no more than 10% or 15 images, whichever is less, from a collection

5. Educators may use their educational multimedia projects, which include copyrighted multimedia, for up to two years. Students may use their educational multimedia projects, which include copyrighted multimedia, in the course for which they were created and in their portfolios as examples of their academic work for later personal uses such as job and graduate school interviews.

6. Always include a correct citation for each of your sources.

7. These guidelines apply to products that are used “within the classroom walls.” Multimedia products published on the Internet follow more rigorous copyright law and often require written permission from the copyright owner.