As a way of generating interest in their work, or as a service to those who read their books, children’s book authors and illustrators often allow teachers, librarians, community centers, and others to copy and display their copyrighted work.

In conjunction with creative writing, language arts, reading, and other classes, teachers and librarians often assign projects in which students use the work of others—perhaps in collages, multi-media projects, or PowerPoint presentations—either in whole, in part, or as a “jumping off point” for the creation of a new work by the student.

Sometimes, though, despite everyone’s good intentions, copyright law can make this type of “sharing” legally troublesome. Authors and illustrators who want to encourage use of their works by educators worry about people using their work for commercial, money-making purposes. Educators who devise assignments intended to enhance student research and learning worry about copyright law, permissions, “fair use,” and their students’ understanding of how much, how often, and in what setting they can use copyrighted works. Copyright law is cumbersome, “fair use” analyses are difficult, and penalties for copyright infringement are high.