Copyright Cases

Prof. Marlowe, Romeo and Juliet

In his course English 210, The Literature of Drama, cross-listed as Theater 240, The Drama of Literature, and known affectionately by students as A Play a Day, Prof. Marlowe has for decades shown to his classes the scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in which Mercutio is killed. It helps students understand the profound difference between the play as acted and the play as written. When he started teaching many years ago he showed it from 16mm film, then moved up to VHS tapes and nowadays to DVD. These days he's using Zeferelli's version, produced in the 1970's. 

	•	Does he need to seek permission from Zefferelli to do this? From the producer of the film? From Romeo? From Juliet? From anybody? Why?
	•	Two years ago, Prof Marlowe's students convinced him to put his course materials up on Blackboard, including all his film clips. May he put the Romeo and Juliet clip up there? Why? Why not?
	•	Next semester, Prof. Marlowe will teach an online section of his course, so that he might reach students all over the world. May he use the Romeo and Juliet clip? Why?
	•	By now prof Marlowe has become so famous that the University of Phoenix asks him to teach his course in their MBA for Arts Professionals program. May he use the clip in this course?

Prof. Shearing, Passing Through

Among her many duties at the college, Prof. Shearing manages a recruitment and support program for underprivileged students. To encourage them to apply, and to show them how to navigate the various support systems that the college offers, she had one of her students create an entertaining cartoon animation of the process. Like the silent silent movies of old, the animation was accompanied by piano music, in this case a jazz piece, Passing Through, composed in 1956 and performed by Errol Garner, who died in 1977.  She shows this animation to potential students when she's out on the recruiting trail.

	•	Must she get permission from Mr. Garner to do this? From the record publisher? From the student who authored the animation? From anybody?
	•	A potential student at one of these meetings hands Prof. Shearing a flash memory stick asks for a copy of the animation. May she copy it for him?
	•	The admissions office asks Prof. Shearing if they might post the animation on their website. Is this ok? Why?
	•	Prof. Shearing is hired to teach a course  on higher education administration the School of Education. She would like to show the animation as an example of good recruitment practices. May she do this? Why?

Prof. Daguerre, Google Images

Each week, Prof. Daguerre prepares a podcast for his students, that reviews the key concepts of the course. He voices over his PowerPoint slides and adds illustrations drawn from Google Images. Students love these concise, witty, and personal productions. They download them from Blackboard and play them on their various media devices.  Daguerre's  use of images is especially clever and creative. 

	•	Has he done anything wrong? Why?
	•	He posts his podcasts to his college's iTunes U site, where it's even easier for students registered in his courses to download the podcasts. Is this ok?
	•	Apple, Inc., notices the high quality of Daguerre's podcasts, especially the images, and asks to post them on it's public iTunes U site. May Daguerre send them to Apple? May Apple publish them? Why?
	•	McGraw-Hill asks to include his podcasts as part of a compact disc and web site that will accompany a new textbook in Daguerre's field. May he let them? Why?

Prof. Piaget,  readings and videos in child development

In his lectures, Prof. Piaget makes good use of the video clips from the compact disc that accompanies the textbook, Child Development: an Experimental Approach. The clips match exactly with the topics in the book. The book (required) costs his students $95, and the CD (optional) is $30 extra, all at the campus bookstore.

	•	May he show these clips in class? Why?
	•	To help his students understand the material better, Prof. Piaget posts the video clips from the CD onto Blackboard, where only his students can see them. May he do this?
	•	Prof. Piaget develops an online version of the child development course, also on Blackboard. May he use those some clips from the CD there? Why?

Try these cases with the Copyright Consideror.