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Copyright and Fair Use Review

Do you know when you can and can’t use other people’s work? Take the quiz and find out how copyright savvy you are.

  1. You are doing a research paper for school and found an article written by an expert about your topic.
    1. Cite Your Sources
    2. This is Fair Use.
    3. Sources for research papers are not copyrighted.
    4. I can just retype what I find in my own words.

    Answer: a. Cite Your Sources

  2. Your teacher has posted a video on the Internet that she made for instruction.
    1. This is fair use.
    2. I can use it for my research paper.
    3. It’s not copyrighted.
    4. It’s her work. She can post it.

    Answer: d. It’s her work. She can post it.

  3. Your teacher is showing a video from YouTube in class for instruction.
    1. The teacher is going to get in trouble for violating copyright.
    2. Way to go, teach! This is an example of fair use.
    3. This is not an example of fair use.
    4. Since the video is on YouTube, it isn’t copyrighted.

    Answer: b. Way to go, teach! This is an example of fair use.

  4. The teacher posts an instructional video that came with the textbook on her webpage.
    1. The teacher must have permission from the publisher to post the video to her webpage.
    2. This is an example of fair use because it is educational.
    3. This video is not copyrighted because it came with the textbook.
    4. If you can Google it, you can use it.

    Answer: a. The teacher must have permission from the publisher to post the video to her webpage.

  5. Examples of fair use include:
    1. Only those things that are posted to free websites are considered fair use
    2. Fair use means asking permission to use a resource.
    3. educational purposes, comedies, news reporting and criticism
    4. When you cite your sources in a research paper

    Answer: c. educational purposes, comedies, news reporting and criticism

  6. The steps to use a song for the background of your school video assignment that will be posted on the school website are
    1. I don’t have to do anything. It’s fair to use.
    2. Check who owns it, get permission to use it, give credit to the owner, buy it if necessary, and use it responsibly.
    3. Songs aren’t copyrighted.
    4. Check to see if it’s on YouTube first.

    Answer: b. Check who owns it, get permission to use it, give credit to the owner, buy it if necessary, and use it responsibly.

  7. Public domain means
    1. the owner/creator decided to allow anyone to use it for free and without getting credit
    2. it is posted in public
    3. the government posted it
    4. that it is in a public library

    Answer: a. the owner/creator decided to allow anyone to use it for free and without getting credit

Now that you know more about copyright and fair use, you can keep yourself out of trouble and know your rights when it comes to protecting any of your own creations, including those at work!

If you missed more that 2 review the lesson again.