Copyrights

If you create an online course and wish to be able to sell your creative work, you need to know whether your school will claim they own the copyright. In the university system this claim is common if the work is produced as part of the normal workload or as part of a grant. A written waiver of copyright is likely to be necessary if you wish to hold copyright. In addition, it will be necessary to register your copyright with the Library of Congress by filling out the appropriate form. For more information on how to register and an interactive online form, click here.

A major national debate concerning electronic copyright continues with no definite resolution. On the one hand, anything you create and post is automatically copyrighted as your work. On the other hand, anything online is considered to have the copyright waived. As you find you can grab anything on the Internet for your own use, so can others enjoy unrestricted access to your original work. The web creates an environment for bottom-up "Robin Hoods" to take the best from the richest in knowledge and give to the poorest.

It may be legally possible to create original copyrightable works through the process of evaluation and selection of the resources of others. Logic dictates time not be spent reinventing the wheel when completed works are available globally by simply pointing to what you want. It is important to understand what is legal and what constitutes fair use. Go to the The Copyright Website and read the following sections:
Copyright Fundamentals;
Bleeding Edge: Internet Issues;
Fair Use.

Another excellent and comprehensive site devoted to copyright issues has been provided by Stanford University.

Strongly recommended readings are:
7304 Copyright primer for educators
6882 Intellectual Property and the NII

Optional quality readings are:
6394 Example: bootlegged cookie recipe story
7380 K12 copyright discussion