Dos & Don'ts
Dos:
- Do assume all material is under copyright
- Do read "click to accept" agreements on websites. These will often list any restrictions of the materials you want to use (regardless of what it is).
- Do search out creative commons and public domain materials
- Do contact your campus librarian for help finding OER materials
- Do use the creative commons website or the resources listed on MCC Libraries suggested resources page to assist you with finding material with more permissions to use.
Don'ts:
- Don't assume because you are using it in the classroom (in person or virtual) that it automatically qualifies as fair use (hint, it doesn't).
- Don't use a substantial portion of someone else's work that can reasonably be considered the "heart" of their work.
- Don't use copyrighted materials in the classroom semester after semester. If you are going to do this, you must get copyright holder's permission.
- Don't suggest to students that they take pictures, scan, or copy pages of their textbook (or library course reserve textbooks) to share with others.
- Don't scan or copy or take pictures of consumable works. Consumable works are lab books workbooks, exercises and other works designed to be written on by students.
- Don't use a work on the web that you know (or should know) was posted in violation of copyright. Accessible doesn't mean legal!
