Within any educational institution there is usually someone who is responsible for copyright issues. Where, however, the use of a work is not covered by one of these schemes, users can rely on the underlying exception. Other educational licensing schemes to be aware of are those run by the Copyright Licensing Agency, such as the CLA Schools licence and the NLA Media Access Schools licence. For instance, if a school or college wants to record television broadcasts for use within a classroom, it should get a licence from the Educational Recording Agency. This means that if a scheme has been set up to license the use of copyright material by educational establishments then the exception does not apply. What it does mean is that you need to be aware of when you can use a work without obtaining permission or paying a licence fee, and when permission or a licence is required.įor example, the law makes clear that certain exceptions for education can only be relied upon in the absence of a relevant educational licensing scheme. If you are using materials in an educational context this does not mean that you can forget about copyright. To minimise the burden on teachers and students who want to make use of copyright materials as part of their teaching and learning experience, the law includes a number of exceptions that allow for the use of all types of copyright work for certain educational purposes. Educational resources exist in all formats that are recognised as ‘works’ in copyright law. The use of materials protected by copyright is essential to the learning process.

Authors: Ruth Soetendorp and Bartolomeo Meletti

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