Lauren+Fecht

There are many steps to take when designing a distance learning course. You must first find out if your course is for a non-profit or for-profit organization. Laws are different depending on the situation you are in. You also need to define the material you are going to use. Next, figure out the rules for that particular material. For example, if you are using a motion media work, ask yourself how much of the media you will be using. If it is not less than 10% or 3 minutes, you will need to see permission for use. It is important to follow all guidelines when creating the course so that you are not breaking the copyright laws.

While creating the course, you might come across some obstacles. You may need permission from a person or organization to use his/her work, but you may not be able to contact them. Hopefully, by doing a little research you will be able to find a contact but there may be instances where the creator is not available. You might also think that something is fair to use but then come to realize that in fact was not. If you have thoroughly done your research then this should not be a major problem. Just keep in mind that there is a rule for everything; not all rules are the same. Another problem might be that you originally thought you only needed a specific amount of material for a short amount of time (which is in line with fair use guidelines), but then realize that it's going to take much longer. If this happens, you definitely want to request a copyright just to cover yourself.

I guess it's safe to say that when creating a course, you should double-check copyright and fair use guidelines just to be on the safe side.