The issues of copyright, fair use, freedom of speech and intellectual property associated with education change when material and information are recorded and played back in a private setting or a public broadcast. The assumptions and rules that applied in the classroom no longer apply when that same material is committed to recorded media. Because the consequences of improperly using copyrighted material can be great, and because the University of Washington is committed to protecting its intellectual property, we take copyright issues seriously. The following are frequently asked questions about copyright issues.

For more information, you can watch the video, "The Copyright Court." Another good resource is the Government's Copyright Web site.

• When I sign a release form what am I signing?
  You are giving the University of Washington permission to record your voice, image, speech or presentation. This recording may be used in University of Washington programs which may be distributed to the public, broadcast on one of the University's TV channels, viewed over the Internet or copied to recorded media.
  
  
• Will I be compensated for my participation?
  Each program is produced for a sponsoring department. Any compensation must be arranged between the individual and the producing department prior to production.
  
  
• Fair use laws let me use copyrighted material in my class. Can I use these same materials in a videotape of my class?
  No, because two issues arise. First, material used in a classroom can only be seen by the students in that class. But when the same material is recorded, people outside of the class can view it. This voids the fair use of that material for the classroom. Second, when the image and the sound are put together on video, they become "synchronized." Copyright laws treat "synchronized" material differently.
  
  
• How is "synchronized" material different?
  "Synchronized" material is considered as distinct from the individual material used in its production. The act of "synchronizing" image and sound voids any educational fair use of the material.
  
  
• Can I use graphics, photos and illustrations from the Internet or scanned from a magazine in my PowerPoint presentation that will be recorded?
  Not unless you have written permission from the copyright holder. An exception is media art that is in the public domain.
  
  
• If I sign a clearance form and I mistakenly use copyrighted material in my recorded presentation, what happens?
  When you sign the release you are saying that you have permission to use the material and you agree to indemnify the University against damages.

You can download this FAQ here (Adobe PDF).