Copyright Issues
For quoting NIV scripture, please read this:
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/
Quoting Bible Verses
You can quote up to 500 verses from the NRSV, provided you state that
the version is copyright National Council of Churches.
You can quote up to 1000 verses of the Good News Bible, provided that you state that the version is copyright,
American Bible Society.
You can quote up to 250 verses of the New Living Translation, provided that you state that the version is
copyright, Tyndale House.
The KJV is copyright free.
Using Other People's Lesson Materials in Your Own
You can quote a MINOR portion of a published
or non-published work, but still need to cite it's author and origin. AND provided that you offer some substantial
revisions, commentary, or additional material that make your lesson more of your own. The substantial use of
copyrighted material without the author's permission is illegal. Authors should know, however, that copyright laws
do not protect unique ideas, only unique DESCRIPTIONS of those ideas. Unique "names" or "titles" of programs or
ideas might be trademarked, however. Check the published materials for "TM" notices.
For more detailed information about copyright lawas and Christian education, read the article at this website:
Copyright Article Link
Using Videos
Inspite of misleading information to the contrary, Federal Copyright law PROTECTS the use of copyrighted VIDEOTAPES
in "face to face teaching situations." This right to use copyrighted videotapes in teaching situations includes
rented videotapes. Public "performance" for entertainment value is NOT permitted, however, without the copyright
holder's permission or a license.
The following is anexcerpt from http://www.rotation.org/copyright.htm
Four test words are often used to define or determine what is "fair use." They are Intent, Amount, Harm, and
Uniqueness.
The following FOUR TESTS will help you determine in each situation you encounter whether or
not copyright infringement is possible:.
The intent, amount, harm and uniqueness tests:
- Intent: If your intent is to save money by not buying more of the author's work, and you are going to make regular use of that work, then you are
likely violating the copyright when you make copies of or quote a substantial amount of the author's
work. Video works are a bit different here. If your intent in loaning the material to be viewed is to
make it more widely available, and you don't have a license to do so (as do many resource centers and
libraries) then what you're really doing is becoming a distributor and not paying the author. That's
wrong.
- Amount: How much can be quoted or used before it becomes copyright infringement? The word
"substantial" is open to interpretation. A good rule of thumb is this: you can quote or
copy (with proper attribution) for non-commercial educational purposes up to 25% of an author's
printed work without infringing the copyright. Above that you should contact the author for guidance
and/or permission. If you are regularly excerpting the author's work, or doing so in a serial fashion
(one section at a time over a period of time), then you are probably violating the Amount rule.
Videotape is a bit different. Read on...
- Harm: Are you cutting in on the owner's/author's livelihood? In general, if by distributing a minor portion of the author's material you are
actually promoting the purchase of the resource now or in the future, then you can't be
infringing on the copyright. This is not, however, a license to include major portions of an author's
work. Major and minor are relative terms. If your distribution of the author's materials -major or
modest- affects the author's bottom line, then you are causing harm. At that point you should cut
down the material you are quoting and point people to where they can get the author's work. If
loaning or distributing a video or other material puts you in competition with the author's
distribution means, such as Blockbuster, then you are infringing on their livelihood --which is HARM.
The only exception to this is where there is NO harm or the material is being used strictly for
educational purposes. Yes, it's 'harm' if you even cheat an author out of even one blockbuster rental
by loaning the Ten Commandments to your church families through your library. Check the licensing
restriction that came with the video.
- Uniqueness: Two works may be about the same subject and not infringe
on each other's copyrights so long as the second work contains substantially unique
material different than the original and does not quote the original beyond "substantial" test.
It is OK to use the basic idea of a published lesson to create your own. "Create" means not merely a
change in the vocabulary, word count, or word order of their description. It means you have added a
substantial amount of your own material and made it uniquely your own. It is common courtesy to
state the origin of an idea.
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