Case+64+-+Mr.+V's+Digital+Media+Course

Mr. V works as a media arts instructor in a middle school. His curriculum includes - among other things – creating digital videos, multi-track audio production, podcasting and digital storytelling. His program is afforded a very small budget which is utilized for some basic supplies like digital media (CDs/DVDs, etc) which are used for backing up projects. The course has no textbook, therefore a bulk of the assignments are project-based and in addition to drawing on life experience in crafting lesson plans, Mr. V often uses commercially produced music, movies and other materials (i. e. Flash video segments downloaded from Youtube.com and stored on his school-issued laptop) to convey lesson objectives, such as camera technique, editing styles, media history, performance examples and much more. Copyright law is always observed and its importance impressed upon Mr. V’s students – plagiarism is not tolerated. All reference materials remain in the classroom and are not distributed in any fashion outside of the confines of his classroom. Additionally, often students obtain images (.jpgs/.gifs) for use in producing digital storytelling. Mr. V insists that all images be cited properly in the final credits of student pieces.
 * FAIR USE CASE STUDY – Mr. V’s Digital Media Course**

In accordance with “Fair Use,” Mr. V and his students are exempt from legal implications for the following reasons: 1. //The purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes.// The commercial works in question were strictly used in a face-to-face classroom setting for reference and instructional purposes. They are meaningful, real-world examples of media that students will be expected to produce as digital citizens and content providers of the 21st century. Since the teacher impresses upon students the importance of originality in their work and the stigma attached to plagiarism, he is complying with the ideas set forth in the Copyright Act. 2. //The nature of the copyrighted work.// The works that were showcased consist largely of performance examples and of technical “how-to” demonstrations. Many of the works contain factual material whose authorship is largely inconsequential to the underlying lesson. 3. //The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.// In general, clips that were used as instructional materials rarely exceeded 10 minutes in length, which in most instances represented a small percentage of the complete work. According to “Fair Use” guidelines in the Copyright Act: “In such settings, there is no limitation on the amount or length of the protected work to be performed or displayed provided that the work is legally obtained and is not copied, made available for copying or otherwise distributed to students.” It is clear that Mr. V has adhered to these guidelines and has acted in accordance with “Fair Use.” 4. //The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.// The works mentioned in the case study are shown within the confines of a classroom and not exhibited for profit. Additionally, exposing younger generations to important cultural works may actually broaden the market for copyrighted work, as they may seek to purchase music, movies and other materials they experience in the scope of their learning.
 * Commentary**