As schools increasingly take advantage of sophisticated technologies to enhance education, their need to understand basic copyright law becomes more urgent. This reference guide reviews the historical development of copyright, examines basic components, and analyzes exceptions to copyright owners' rights. Also covered are key areas such as…

Chapter 20 of a book on school law provides guidelines for school access to copyrighted materials. The 1976 copyright law, which became effective January 1, 1978, abolished common law copyright and established a single federal system. Certain sections of the law under the judicial doctrine of fair use are subject to exceptions that are of benefit…