Fair Use of Copyrighted Material

Students can upload their multimedia project to YouTube as long as they understand fair use.  They can not cheapen the materials or pictures that they use, they must use a conservative amount and use it in their own way that is different from it's original use. Fair use includes using material for teaching.  As long as the material is being used in a school related assignment you do not need to get permission from the original creator in order to use the copyrighted material.  My personal opinion is that you can use what you want as long as you are not taking any value or money away from the original creator and you are not making any money from it.

1. Can students upload their multimedia project to YouTube?
2. Are the limitations to the amount of pictures or length of music or video that can be used in a multimedia project?
3. Do you need to request permission from the original creator in order to use copyrighted material in multimedia project for school related assignment?

Media literacy education
can flourish only with
a robust understanding
of fair use.


• Did the unlicensed use “transform” the material taken from the copyrighted work
by using it for a different purpose than that of the original, or did it just repeat
the work for the same intent and value as the original?
• Was the material taken appropriate in kind and amount, considering the nature
of the copyrighted work and of the use?
If the answers to these two questions are “yes,” a court is likely to find a use fair.
Because that is true, such a use is unlikely to be challenged in the first place.