The Student Media Guide To Copyright Law
© 1998 Student Press Law Center
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Copyright law can be both the friend and foe of the student
media. While the law protects student journalists against the
unauthorized use of their stories, drawings or photographs, it
also limits their ability to reproduce the works of others. The
following guide, which explains the basics of copyright law, should
provide student journalists with most of what they need to know
to both safeguard and exercise their rights.
What Is Copyright?
Copyright is a set of federal laws,1
stemming from Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the U.S. Constitution,
which grant authors and artists the exclusive right to benefit
from their creations.
The basics of copyright are fairly straightforward. A copyright
is a property right. A person owns a copyright in much the same
way he owns a car. Just as it is against the law to use or borrow
someone else's car without the owner's permission, it is generally
against the law to use someone's copyrighted work without first
obtaining her consent. Additionally, just as no one but the automobile
owner can legally sell, give away or change the appearance of
a car, no one but the copyright owner, with a few exceptions,
may legally transfer or alter a copyrighted work.
Copyright law encourages and rewards the creativity of authors
and artists. If, for example, members of the public (or a movie
studio) could freely copy the novel Interview With the Vampire
without compensating or obtaining permission from author Anne
Rice, she and other authors would likely be unwilling to invest
the time, energy and resources necessary to create books in the
first place. Copyright, therefore, ensures a robust collection
of original works available for public enjoyment and benefit,
which is its main goal.2
Relationship to Trademark and Patent Law
Copyright is just one means of providing legal protection for
creative works. Patent law protects inventions. Trademark law
protects the symbols and slogans that identify businesses to their
consumers. Together with copyright, these two comprise the area
of the law known as intellectual property.
Patent law issues should cause little or no problem for the
student media. You do not, for example, violate a patent by publishing
information about a new invention or explaining -- even in very
specific detail -- how something works.
Likewise, trademark law presents relatively few concerns for
the student media. While copyright protects a creator's rights,
trademark law should be viewed more as a protection for consumers.
Trademarks -- for example, the Nike "Swoosh" symbol,
the brand name "Coke" or the yellow Kodak film box --
and service marks -- for example, the "Golden Arches"
used to identify a McDonald's restaurant -- are unique symbols,
names or other "marks" that companies use and consumers
rely upon to distinguish one product or service from another.
Trademark law is generally only a problem when a trademark or
service mark is used in a way that would confuse a potential consumer.
For example, it would be a trademark violation for the El Cheapo
Shoe Company to start putting a "Swoosh" symbol on its
tennis shoes. If this were allowed, buyers might purchase El Cheapo's
tennis shoes thinking they were actually Nike brand tennis shoes,
which clearly would not be fair to either the consumer or Nike.
If, on the other hand, there is no likelihood that a consumer
would be confused by the use of a trademark, there is generally
no violation. That's why, for example, there would be no problem
in a student yearbook publishing a photograph of a pair of Nike
shoes (complete with the "Swoosh") to illustrate a feature
story on popular footwear worn by students. There is, obviously,
no likelihood that a consumer would pick up the yearbook thinking
it was a Nike shoe -- or, if published in the context of a "regular"
news story, even an official Nike publication.
Note, however, that some works are protected by both trademark
and copyright (and maybe even patent) law at the same time and
you will need to analyze your intended use under each. If the
editor above wanted to use a flashy Nike ad simply to "decorate"
an inside page (and not as part of a legitimate news story), the
outcome would be different. Again, there would be no trademark
problem. A student yearbook and athletic shoes are so different
that no consumer would be confused by the use. However, the ad
is also copyrighted and its unauthorized use will be prohibited
unless the editor demonstrates a "fair use," which is
unlikely here since the advertisement is being used as simply
a page design graphic rather than to illustrate an actual news
story (for more information on "fair use," see the discussion
the below).
There are only two instances in which trademark protections
typically concern the student media. Unfortunately, a detailed
discussion is beyond the scope of this article, but they are worth
keeping in mind. The first issue arises when a student media attempts
to use a name already in use by a competing media or entity, or
vice versa. For example, a new independent student publication
wishing to call itself The Independent Daily Student may
have a trademark problem if the existing official student publication
is already called The Daily Student. The Daily Student
would argue, and probably rightly so, that both its readers and
advertisers could be confused by the name of the competing publication.
Recently, interesting questions regarding the use of domain names
to identify companies or other entities conducting business on
the Internet, including on-line media, have started to surface.
A second -- and potentially more troublesome -- branch of trademark
law for the student media is that of trademark dilution. Trademark
dilution statutes3 generally
prevent the use of a mark by a non-owner if such use would whittle
away at the distinctiveness of or otherwise "tarnish"
an existing mark. Unlike traditional trademark infringement claims,
it is not necessary that the owner show a likelihood of confusion.
For example, the Coca-Cola Company was successful in preventing
a T-shirt maker from printing shirts with the slogan: "Enjoy
Cocaine," in the well-known Coke script and typeface.4 Clearly, no reasonable person
would have thought they were purchasing a shirt made by the Coca-Cola
Company. Rather, the court found that the T-shirt slogan tarnished
the reputation of the famous Coke trademark. While most state
statutes and the new federal Trademark Dilution Act do not allow
prosecution in cases involving news commentary and news reporting,
the protections for other uses (such as a parody) are not yet
certain.
What about Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is not a legal term. It is a term for an academic
crime, usually defined by professional or academic bodies. Simply
stated, a plagiarist is a person who poses as the creator of words,
ideas or methods that are not his own. In contrast, a person infringes
on another's copyright when he makes unauthorized use of
material that is protected by copyright. For example, a person
could plagiarize Shakespeare's works by not giving the Bard proper
credit. He would not, however, be guilty of copyright infringement
because all of Shakespeare's works, now about 400 years old, are
in the public domain and cannot be protected by copyright. You
will not be punished by a court of law if you are found guilty
of plagiarizing someone else's work, but you might be subject
to punishment or censure by your publication staff. And you should
certainly be embarrassed.5
What Does Copyright Protect?
Copyright protects literary works, sound recordings, works
of art, musical compositions, computer programs and architectural
works, provided that the work satisfies certain requirements.6
First, the work must be original.7
This means that the author must have shown at least a small spark
of creativity when she made the work. For example, courts have
said that simply arranging listings in a telephone book alphabetically
according to the last name of the phone service subscriber lacks
the creativity necessary to qualify for a copyright.8
Second, the work must be "fixed in any tangible medium
of expression."9
This "fixation" requirement means that only works preserved
in a tangible form (a book, a newspaper, a video, a CD-ROM disk,
etc.) -- as opposed to those existing entirely in an artist's
mind -- will receive copyright protection.
What Cannot be Copyrighted?
Copyright does not extend to some forms of expression, even
though they are arguably original and fixed. Slogans, titles,
names, words and short phrases, instructions, lists of ingredients
and familiar symbols or designs are generally ineligible for copyright
because they lack the necessary originality and creativity necessary
to distinguish them from the ideas they represent.10 For example, the words in Nike's slogan
"Just Do It" cannot be copyrighted and therefore could
be used as a headline or tag to illustrate a photo collage of
school athletes in a high school yearbook. The actual slogan (words
in special typeface with "Swoosh" logo) probably cannot
be used -- barring permission or a "fair use" argument
-- because unlike the three "bare" words, the design
of the ad is sufficiently creative and can be copyrighted.
Facts/Ideas Not Subject to Copyright Protection
Copyright law also recognizes a distinction between "expression"
and "ideas."11
Only creative expression, and not mere ideas or facts, qualifies
for copyright protection. So while Time magazine will have
a copyright in the exact words and arrangement of an article on
teen drug use, the facts discovered in Time's reporting
belong to no one and can therefore be used as a source for other
reporters. Additionally, ideas, thoughts or scientific research
are not -- by themselves -- subject to copyright protection, though
the description of such ideas, thoughts or research may be.12
Who Owns A Copyright?
Generally, the creator of a work owns the copyright.13 However, under the "work for hire"
exception, an employer owns the copyright of works created by
her employees while working in the scope of their employment.14 The issue of who is an
employee is particularly significant for the student media where
the traditional employee-employer relationship may not exist.
As just mentioned, if you are an employee, your employer generally
owns the copyright of all works you create on the job. This grants
your employer the right to do pretty much whatever it wants with
your work and prohibits you from doing the same. On the other
hand, if you are what is known as an "independent contractor,"
you -- and not the employer -- own the copyright for your creations.
In such cases, the employer may generally use your work only once,
and you control all subsequent uses.
While there are no reported cases involving student journalists,
the U.S. Supreme Court in Community for Creative Non-Violence
v. Reid15 provided
a list of factors to be considered in determining if someone is
an employee or an independent contractor, including:
- The amount of skill required to perform the work.
Students whose jobs require special skills, like graphic designers,
are more likely to be considered independent contractors.
- The source of supplies and tools. For example, a photographer
who uses his own camera and film is more likely to be considered
an independent contractor than one who uses school equipment.
- The location of the work. Students who work in their
own homes, studios or darkrooms are more likely to be considered
independent contractors than those who work in school facilities.
- The duration of the relationship. For example, a student
artist who contributes a comic strip to a school newspaper once
is likely to be considered an independent contractor.
- The hiring party's ability to assign additional projects
to the creator. If the student editor cannot delegate assignments
to the student writers, artists and photographers but rather
they select their own projects, they are likely to be considered
independent contractors.
- The creator's discretion regarding when and how long to
work.
For example, a reporter who sets her own schedule is more likely
to be considered an independent contractor.
- The tax treatment of the creator. Students from whose
paychecks the publication withholds no social security or income
taxes are likely to be considered independent contractors.
None of these factors alone is determinative in the analysis.16 Nevertheless, taken as
a whole, they would seem to require a fairly formal and traditional
employer-employee relationship, something which is arguably missing
in most student media situations where students often volunteer
their time and services. When students are paid, it is often on
a per photo/story/issue basis, much like a freelancer, which would
suggest treatment as an independent contractor.17
Nevertheless, the surest way to determine if one is an independent
contractor or an employee of a student newspaper, yearbook or
other "collective work" is to anticipate the issue in
advance. Before starting work, both parties should establish the
nature of their relationship and put their agreement in writing.
Regardless of the above factors, an agreement specifying that
one party is the copyright owner of certain works would determine
the outcome of most controversies that arise. In some cases, however,
it will be impossible to characterize a work as a "work for
hire," and a statement in which the creator assigns his or
her rights to the publication will be necessary, if this is what
the parties intend. Every student publication should have a written
agreement signed by each student staff member spelling out who
owns the copyright to the works created.
What Rights Does Copyright Provide?
A copyright gives its owner five exclusive rights: reproduction,
adaptation, distribution, public performance and public display.18 The popular song "You
Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette can illustrate these rights.
"You Oughta Know" is the subject of at least three
copyrights: one for the lyrics and musical arrangement, one for
the actual sound recording and one for the art used to illustrate
the package of the CD. Assuming that Alanis Morissette owns each
of these copyrights (although she has probably transferred rights
to her record company), she is the only person who can legally
exercise any of copyright's exclusive rights. For example, no
one but Alanis Morissette can dub copies of the original sound
recording for profit. (Note, though, a provision of copyright
law unique to sound recordings does allow someone to make and
distribute their own version of an original song without the copyright
owner's permission, as long as they pay the owner a fee.) Only
Morissette can legally sell copies of the CD or reprint the song's
lyrics on promotional merchandise or sheet music. And Morissette
is the only person who legally could display the art from the
CD package in public.
Copyright owners like Morissette can, in addition, sell or
grant permission to others to use their works. Therefore, someone
other than Morissette could legally reproduce, adapt, distribute,
publicly perform or publicly display "You Oughta Know"
as long as she had Morissette's permission.
What Formalities Does Copyright Require?
Depending on when a work was created, the law recognizes three
technical copyright requirements: (1) notice,19 (2) registration20
and (3) deposit.21
A formal copyright notice includes the copyright character
"©," the creation date and the name of the copyright
owner. For example, © 1996 Student Press Law Center. Where
notice is required, this notice must appear on all copies of a
copyrighted work. For works created after March 1, 1989, notice
is not required to claim copyright. Works produced after this
date are automatically copyrighted from the moment they are created.
Regardless, it is a good "non-legal" idea to include
a copyright notice if for no other reason than as a courtesy to
users who may wish to contact the copyright owner. For works created
before Jan. 1, 1978, a copyright notice was mandatory. Notice
was also mandatory, with a few exceptions, for works created between
Jan. 1, 1978, and March 1, 1989.
Registration of creative works with the Copyright Office in
Washington, D.C., is voluntary. Nonetheless, registering a copyrighted
work and obtaining a certificate of registration can be advantageous
to the copyright owner. First, registration is the key to the
courthouse door. Only a copyright owner who has registered her
work with the Copyright Office may sue someone who infringes her
copyright. Additionally, while you have the right to register
your work at any time while your copyright is in effect, certain
damages and reimbursement for your attorney fees are only available
to those who formally register their work within three months
of publication.22 Registration
is easy. It requires completing relatively straightforward forms
for the Copyright Office, mailing them copies of your work and
paying a fee ($20 as of 8/1/97).23
Attorneys or other specialists are not required. Special registration
requirements are available for serial publications (newspapers,
weekly magazines, etc.) that make registration cheaper and easier
to accomplish.
The final copyright formality is deposit. Creators must deposit
two copies of their work with the Copyright Office within three
months of publication.24
These deposits help form the collection of the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C. While copyright law mandates deposit, failure
to send in the required copies of your work will not affect the
validity of your copyright. If you plan to register your copyright
later, you can request a receipt for your deposit so you do not
have to include more copies of your work with your registration
application.
Questions about any aspect of copyright registration or deposit
can be directed to an information specialist at the U.S. Copyright
Office at (202) 707-5959 or by visiting the U.S.
Copyright Office's Web site at: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/.
How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?
Calculating the duration of copyright protection can be a complicated
task. It can also be very important because once copyright expires,
the work becomes part of the public domain and can be freely used
without permission from the former copyright owner. For example,
film producers in Hollywood could create a script and movie of
Nathaniel Hawthorne's book The Scarlet Letter with no legal
liability for copyright infringement because the novel -- like
any work originally published before January 1, 1923 -- is now
in the public domain. For works created before January 1, 1978,
copyright lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years. The
copyright for works for hire created after that date extends for
either 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever
comes sooner. Copyright always expires on Dec. 31 of the appropriate
year.
For more information on a specific work, be sure to check out our Copyright Duration Calculator.
What Remedies Are Available To Copyright Owners?
Copyright owners who have complied with the requisite formalities
may sue for copyright infringement if someone has exercised one
of the copyright owner's exclusive rights without permission or
in a manner that would not be considered a fair use. If the copyright
owner prevails in the action, the court may award her either actual25 or statutory26 damages, as well as injunctive relief
and impoundment of copyrighted material.
Actual damages are the measure of the actual amount of money
lost by the copyright owner due to the unauthorized use plus any
profits made by the infringer that are not included in the first
computation. These are calculated using evidence provided by the
copyright owner.
Statutory damages range from $200 to $100,000 per infringement
depending, in part, on whether the infringement was "innocent"
or "willful." The actual amount awarded by the court
is in the discretion of the judge. Copyright owners may choose
whichever damages are greater when they prevail in a copyright
infringement.
Injunctive relief, which is normally a court order to stop
violating a copyright, and impoundment, the court-ordered confiscation
of copyrighted material and the machinery or tools used to create
it, are also common remedies.
Obtaining Permission to Use a Copyrighted Work
The surest way to use a copyrighted work legitimately is to
get permission from the copyright holder. Simply giving the copyright
owner credit for their work is not enough. Explicit permission
is required. Sometimes that is not difficult. For example, a daily
commercial newspaper would probably agree to allow a nearby high
school student yearbook to reprint a photo of a local news event,
as long as the students gave credit to their source. On the other
hand, getting permission can sometimes pose a challenge. Many
organizations have strict policies regulating the use of their
copyrighted work, from barring permission altogether to detailed,
time-consuming procedures by which permission must be secured
to charging expensive licensing fees.27
Video yearbooks and other non-print media will often find that
obtaining permission to use popular music or films can be an especially
trying experience. You may want to limit your use of these items
to what would be considered a "fair use," (for example,
to accompany your official survey of the five most popular music
videos at your high school, you could probably run a very short
clip of each) or you may want to contact a company that specializes
in obtaining copyright permissions.
If you think it will be necessary to obtain a copyright, start
early. While the time required varies, you should allow yourself
months, rather than days or even weeks, to secure a copyright
permission.
The first step is to locate the copyright holder, either by
using the copyright notice (for example, © 1996 Time Magazine,
Inc.) or by contacting the Copyright Office in Washington, D.C.
You can search their copyright registration records yourself on
the Internet,28 or you
can pay them to do the search for you.
Once you know who owns the copyright, you need to ask that
person for permission. While it is probably worth an initial telephone
call, particularly at a smaller or less formal organization, most
copyright holders require a written request. Your request should
include:
- Your name, address and telephone number; the name and expected
date of publication; the number of copies you intend to produce
and the price, if any, you will charge. If you are a non-profit
student publication, be sure to make that absolutely clear.
- A precise description of what you want to use and, if possible,
a photocopy or sketch of your plans.
- A (polite) statement regarding your deadline for hearing
back from them.
Fair use
This is a very important exception to the general rule that
copyrighted material cannot be used without consent. It is particularly
significant to the news media, which is in the business of conveying
information, some of it based on copyrighted work.
Federal copyright law states that an individual other than
the copyright owner can use a copyrighted work without permission
if the use would be considered a "fair use."29 The Fair Use Doctrine is, in effect,
a compromise. It represents a balance by lawmakers of the need
to encourage scientific and cultural progress by making sure creators
get credit for what they do against society's need for readily
accessible information. Recognizing the inherent conflict in these
two goals, fair use strives to find a reasonable middle ground.
Whether or not the use of a copyrighted work by a non-owner
would be considered a "fair use" is not always an easy
call. There is no black and white rule; each case must be examined
on its own. Indeed, it is this lack of a hard and fast standard
that has lead some to label fair use "the metaphysics of
law." Nevertheless, as one of the country's leading experts
on copyright law has said: "Ninety-nine times out of a hundred
a scholar who wants to quote a reasonable portion of a copyrighted
work can do so without obtaining permission as long as the quotation
does not constitute a substitute for the original."30
Courts look at four factors to determine if the use of a copyrighted
work is a fair use:31
- The purpose and character of the use. Non-commercial
uses for purposes like news reporting, teaching, criticism or
commentary are more likely to be fair.
- The nature of the copyrighted work. Uses of works
containing mostly factual material like maps or biographies are
more likely to be fair than uses of highly creative and original
works like novels and cartoons.
- How much of the original work is used. No more of
the work than what is necessary may be used fairly. The test
is both quantitative (how many words of a 200,000 word book are
reproduced?) and qualitative (using the "core" or "heart"
of a work -- no matter how small -- is less likely to be a fair
use).
- The effect of the use on the commercial value of the copyrighted
work. This is the most important factor.32 If consumers are likely to buy the use
as a substitute for the original, it probably will not qualify
as a fair use.
Fair use therefore authorizes the use of limited amounts of
copyrighted works for purposes like news reporting and education
so long as the use does not destroy the commercial value of the
copyrighted work. Thus, a student newspaper can probably reproduce
a single photograph -- particularly one that is reduced in size
from the original -- from the package art from the "You Oughta
Know" CD to illustrate a review of the CD without obtaining
Alanis Morissette's (or her record company's) permission. Other
fair uses probably include: use of a single frame from a comic
strip to illustrate a news article reporting the retirement of
the strip's creator; reprinting a Joe Camel advertisement taken
from a national magazine to illustrate a story on the effect of
cigarette advertising on minors; reprinting two lines from the
senior class song as part of a yearbook editor's "The Year
Gone By" column. But using an entire comic strip or Joe Camel
advertisement on senior class T-shirts or printing all the lyrics
from the senior class song on the inside cover of the yearbook
will probably not be fair uses.
Parody
Fortunately for the student media, copyright law gives parodies
and spoofs a fair share of breathing room. The U.S. Supreme Court
has recently ruled that the use of copyrighted material in parodies
or spoofs can constitute a fair use if the use satisfies certain
conditions.33 First,
the parody must be obvious.34
The audience must reasonably perceive that the use is a criticism
or commentary of the original. A disclaimer or notice that clearly
alerts readers of the parody may prove useful. Second, the use
must reproduce no more of the work than the minimum necessary
to conjure up the original in the audience's mind.35 For example, a slight change in the appearance
of a cartoon character will be insufficient to satisfy fair use.
Finally, the use must not destroy the market of the original work.36 If the public will buy
the use instead of buying the original or a parody of the original
created by the copyright owner, then the use is not fair. So,
for example, an artist's rendition of an otherwise exact copy
of Beavis and Butthead talking about rock videos that only altered
their hair color or clothing would not qualify as a parody but
a drawing of two teenage boys who vaguely resemble Beavis and
Butthead giggling about school events probably would.
Summary
The basics of copyright law are not difficult to understand,
particularly when you understand the reasoning behind the law.
While this short guide will not provide you with all of the answers
you need, it should at least alert you as to the questions you
must ask.
For those needing additional help, the Student Press Law Center
provides free legal information to student journalists and their
advisers on copyright and other issues. Please contact us.
You may also want to visit the U.S.
Copyright Office Web site. A particularly helpful publication
is "Circular 1: Copyright Basics," which is available
on-line.
Another excellent source of copyright information for students and educators is the Crash Course in Copyright maintained by the University of Texas System. Their comprehensive Offsite Links Page is particularly good.