At the same time, the massive amount of information and images greatly diminishes the likelihood of exposure if works are copied illegally. The issue of copyright law enforcement, meanwhile, receives little public attention. While education institutions have begun to protect themselves from liability, some teachers, either from a false sense of security or lack of awareness, engage in illegal use or retention of materials. Return to top. Educators, without regard to or knowledge of copyright restrictions, sometimes duplicate materials illegally or load software without license.
Teachers have a moral obligation to practice integrity and trustworthiness.
Just as they expect students to refrain from cheating on tests and from taking others' belongings at school, teachers should honor the law when it comes to fair use and copyright. Thus, teachers not only should protect themselves from legal liability but should also model honesty and truthfulness by knowing when and what may be copied for educational use. Return to top. Keep in mind, however, that duplicating or photocopying someone else's work is the same as using the author's expression. For example, a work might be old enough to be part of the public domain or perhaps unprotected for another reason.