The implications for copyright on educators are severe. A teacher can be fired, hit with a lawsuit, even lose their certification over copyright violations. Granted, these happen in extremely rare, and generally unlucky situations. However, through secondhand sources, I have heard of these happening.
However, we as educators set precedent for our students. If they feel it is okay, via our example, to lift material and not give proper credit, or seek out avenues to gain approval, then we are failing as teachers. If you look at the landscape now, and I use YouTube as an example, a current fad is to give credit to organizations for original material. Some organizations, such as the National Basketball Association, have accepted this as free public relations for their league. Many, such as the RIAA and music/television companies, have gone after these individuals. At the least, they have made them take the videos down. At the worst, the ramifications are lawsuits, or even jail.
We need to teach students the proper methods of dealing with the work of others at the outset. As a result, we need to be educated on copyright, no matter how difficult that may be. And it is quite difficult. But there is the Golden Rule, and it applies here. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Would you want your originality lifted and passed off as someone else's? No? Then don't do it to others. Seek approval, or seek other work, one that is available in the public sector.
Throughout all the complexity that is copyright, that rule seems to be pretty simple, does it not?
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