What's Fair?: OERs, Copyright, and Fair Use

Abstract

Copyright protection is important for the promotion of new knowledge, but the U.S. Copyright Code also recognizes the value and importance of protecting significant leeway for educational uses without permission-seeking or licensing. The doctrine of fair use affords the law flexibility in limiting copyright monopoly when doing so benefits purposes of criticism, research, teaching, and scholarship. This presentation provides information about the responsible application of fair use doctrine to the creation of Open Educational Resources. We will discuss best practices for different kinds of citation and use of third-party works common to OERs, including information about when and how to seek permission.