OLLI at Chico State’s policy is that all OLLI staff members, instructors, and members have a duty to be good digital citizens, respect the rights of copyright owners, and comply with federal copyright law.
Good Digital Citizenship
Copyright Basics
OLLI at Chico State Instructor Material Copyright Policy
Copyright Resources
Stock Image Resources
Good Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship is a term used to define the appropriate and responsible use of technology among users. When we share materials via PowerPoint, handouts, or Zoom recordings, for example, it is important to be transparent:
- OLLI requests permission from lecturers and/or guest presenters before sharing class recordings. This request is made on the course proposal form and determines if the class will be recorded and, if so, how widely recordings will be distributed.
- Class presenters, including volunteer instructors and special guests, should reference the creator(s) for photographs, quotations, and/or art used in OLLI class presentations, e.g. in PowerPoint slides and/or printed materials.
- OLLI Zoom links for online classes should not be shared with individuals who are not enrolled in the class, including individuals in the same household.
- To protect member privacy, email communications from OLLI staff and instructors sent to multiple members will use the bcc option so email addresses are not visible to recipients.
Copyright Basics
Federal copyright law applies to “original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device” (United States Code Title 17, section 102(a)). This means books, photographs, artworks, music, and videos are all included, among other kinds of works.
Copyright owners retain certain rights over their works. A combination of the rights outlined by federal copyright law, the licensing structure the copyright owner has chosen to use, and the Fair Use Doctrine determine whether or not a copyrighted work can be used in educational materials.
The Fair Use Doctrine (United States Code Title 17, section 107) allows for the use of copyright works in educational settings under certain circumstances. Fair Use is a complicated standard. The law lists the following four factors to be used in determining whether a given use is covered by Fair Use:
- the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
- the nature of the copyrighted work;
- the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
- the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
You can read more about Fair Use, including resources to help you determine if your use falls under the Fair Use exception, at the Meriam Library’s website.
Some works can be used in classrooms or other settings without having to consider the Fair Use Doctrine. Some works, such as all works published in the United States before 1923, are in the public domain and can be used. Some works are protected by Creative Commons licenses which allow use under one of six different licenses. Some works are provided with other licenses or statements that allow them to be freely used.
OLLI at Chico State Instructor Material Copyright Policy
Class recordings and instructor-created class materials are the intellectual property of the instructor.
By recording classes, instructors grant OLLI an exclusive right to distribute the recordings. OLLI at Chico State will not share class recordings without permission from the instructor. We currently ask on the course proposal form if we can share recordings with (a) only registered members of the class, (b) all OLLI at Chico State members and registered members of the class, or (c) other OLLI programs, all OLLI at Chico State members, and registered members of the class. For recordings made before we asked the question this specifically, we will ask instructor permission before sharing recordings with anyone. OLLI at Chico State will store and may continue to share recordings with permitted groups beyond the current term. Instructors agree not to share class recordings without permission of OLLI at Chico State.
Instructors may change or rescind their permission for OLLI at Chico State to keep or share recordings at any time. To change or rescind permissions, please contact us at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679.
Copyright Resources
Stock Image Resources
The following list of resources are sources for stock imagery. Many of these can be freely used with few restrictions. Others have licenses that require attribution. Some may have additional restrictions. Be sure to check the license requirements of the image you want to use before putting it into a presentation or handout.
