1. Is this work protected by copyright?
2. Is there a license that covers my use?
OER CommonsOpen Educational Resources are openly licensed (or public domain) resources that can be used freely without paying or requesting permission.
Creative Commons LicenseWorks issued under Creative Commons Licenses give blanket permission for reuse, provided you comply with the terms of the license (attribution, etc.).
Creative Commons Guide from AtlaFurther explanation about Creative Commons Licenses and how to find Creative Commons works.
3. Is there a specific exemption in copyright law that covers my use?
Classroom UseSection 110(1) of the U.S. copyright code provides some specific exemptions for classroom use of copyrighted works.
TEACH ActSection 110(2) of the U.S. copyright code provides some specific exemptions for online or remote instruction.
4. Is my use covered by fair use?
The Four Factors of Fair UseThe four factors used in deciding whether a use is fair use are: (1) the purpose and character of your use, (2) the nature of the copyrighted work, (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion taken, and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market.
Codes of Best Practices in Fair UseA growing number of communities of practice have developed codes of best practice concerning fair use.
Fair Use EvaluatorAn online tool you can use to create a record of your evaluation of whether the use you have in mind is a fair use.
5. Do I need permission from the copyright owner for my use?
This work is a derivative of Kevin Smith and Lisa Macklin's original Framework. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Share-Alike License (CC-BY-SA 4.0).
