You own the copyright to any creative, original work you’ve completed / created. As the copyright owner of your work, you’re automatically entitled to the full menu of exclusive rights you have in your work.
Copyright law differs around the world, so there is not general rule. To ensure that you own the content that you’re uploading to Classroom Copy, you will need to check your own school’s policies around copyright ownership. Education Departments will often publish policies around copyright ownership which define the bounds for creating and owning resources. Typically, schools will claim ownership where teachers use school time, resources, or funds to create their resources. For additional information, contact an attorney who specialises in intellectual property law.
When sourcing images to use in your resources, you need to be aware that anything created by someone else is classed as being under copyright, and therefore, you are not legally able to use it without specific approval from the copyright owner. There is a common misconception that changing a work by 10% or 20% will mean that you can avoid liability for copyright infringement. This is not the case. Copyright doesn't protect forms, templates, or facts, which are often considered not to have the minimum amount of creative expression.
Whilst it is safer to use only things you’ve created yourself; this is not always practical or time efficient. We have included some options below for sourcing images for your use in your creations.
There is a fair use exception that applies to the use of copyrighted material for educational purposes. This exception allows teachers a limited right to use copyrighted material for instructional purposes. This exception does not extend to commercial use or redistribution of the material, which means it doesn’t allow you to post that material on Classroom Copy.
When possible, use photos and images that you've taken or created yourself.
Note the following:
The Classroom Copy website includes work from talented clip artists, font and border designers, photographers, and other artists offering their work. Many of them will include terms of use or licensing terms with their content that explain how the content can be used.
Google has now updated Image Search to make it easier to discover free-to-use images — and how to license the ones you can’t use for free. It is important to remember that whilst these images are free-to-use, you are still required to give credit to the creator. Refer to Creative Commons website for more information relating to the different Creative Common types and their requirements.
Here’s how to take advantage of this feature:
There are many image and clip art library websites. It can be difficult to know which sites to trust, and how to navigate their licensing rules, so it’s good to be cautious and read carefully.
You can purchase images from stock photo agencies and follow the license terms. Remember, you're not outright buying an image from a stock agency but are paying for certain uses of it. Read the specific terms and conditions (to which you have agreed).
You can use hyperlinks and QR codes to content that supplements your resources. Before adding links or codes, you must be aware of the following:
The website being linked to must have the right to host the content you’re hyperlinking or including a QR code for. For example, if your resource requires students to watch an educational video before completing an exercise, direct your users to the video on the creator’s website, not a third party who copied the video on a personal webpage.
Some websites have adopted “no link” policies. In this instance you’ll need ask for permission to link to the content you’re interested in.
NOTE: You are responsible for ensuring all links in your resources are always current and accessible. As per our Refund Policy, resources that do not function as intended may be grounds to issue a refund to your Buyer and deactivate your product.
Classroom Copy does not permit you to use embedded videos, including, for example, YouTube videos, unless you have permission (like a license). You can hyperlink or include a QR code in your resources in line with the guidelines above.
You are, however, able to embed videos that you have created / filmed yourself in accordance with Classroom Copy Policies.
View Classroom Copy Documents and Policies for detailed information.