Looks at the history of fair use of copyright-protected works, from concerns about photocopying to emergence of early guidelines, opposition, and continuing struggles to interpret the Copyright Act of 1976. Argues that no current fair use guidelines have the force of law; indeed, the law is a less complex measure than most guidelines. Recommends a…

The broad range of copyright issues educators face in the classroom are discussed. The discussion focuses on the fair use provision of the 1976 Copyright Act as it applies to the reproduction of print, software, and video materials. (SM)