Media content online... What You Can and Can't Use
An ocean of media content is available on the Internet, but for many it's not clear how you can use it beyond merely reading it for yourself.

There is content from articles, books, magazines, newspapers, journals, pamphlets, press releases, TV and radio broadcasts, films, video, photos, songs, audio, just about anything you can imagine can be found on the World Wide Web today.

Fair use is a legal principle that defines use of copyrighted material and the rights of copyright holders.

Here are links to guides that can help you understand the legalities of using copyrighted materials in other media and classrooms:

• Copyright and Fair Use   U.S. Copyright Office
  
  
• Yes, You Can Use Copyrighted Material in the Classroom   American University
  
  
• Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education   American University Center for Social Media
  
  
• Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web   University of Maryland University College
  
  
• Using Copyrighted Materials in Your Classroom   University of California at Berkeley
  
  
• Guide to Using Copyrighted Material in the Classroom   The Chronicle of Higher Education
  
  
• Fair Use Guidelines For Educational Multimedia   University of Texas System
  
  

Prepared 2009 by Dr. Anthony Curtis Mass Communications Department, University of North Carolina at Pembroke