HIST 396: Port Cities of the Indian Ocean: Credit Sources

• is this material in the public domain?  Was it published before 1923, or created by the U.S. government?
   
• has this item been expressly exempted from copyright by the creator?
   
• has this item been shared under the terms of a Creative Commons license?
   
• if this item is on a website, does the hosting institution have a permissions policy or information on how to properly cite this item?
   
• if this item can be used on our website, have I fully credited the creator/publisher and linked back to the source so that others may find it?

We're making an educational website; why isn't everything covered under Fair Use?

Great question!  In a closed environment like a classroom or restricted online environment like Sakai, copyrighted material may be shared under the copyright provision called "Fair Use" which includes educational, not-for-profit use.

However, when we create a website that can be open to the entire world, we are in effect publishing those photographs, maps, and texts.  Unless we secure written permission from the copyright holder, we are violating their rights over their intellectual property.  It's also called stealing.

So, it's especially important for this project to be especially vigilant about sources and citation.  

Ask yourself:

• is this material in the public domain?  Was it published before 1923, or created by the U.S. government?
• has this item been expressly exempted from copyright by the creator?
• has this item been shared under the terms of a Creative Commons license?