Slow Start for Long-Awaited Easing of Copyright Restriction

by Dan Carnevale

The Chronicle of Higher Education
March 28, 2003 issue

Deborah K. Griggs used movie clips in her courses on intercultural communication, turning off the sound to show students what they could figure out from just watching the characters.

While watching the 1991 American movie Father of the Bride, students in her classroom could easily tell that Steve Martin's character was jealous of his future son-in-law for stealing his daughter's heart. While watching the Indian film West Is West, however, students couldn't as easily read the main character's expressions as he made his way around San Francisco.

Now that Ms. Griggs teaches the same course online through University of Maryland University College, however, she skips the movie clips. Until recently, U.S. copyright law barred online courses from using such materials unless the copyright holder had given permission -- possibly after demanding a hefty royalty -- a step that isn't required for professors using such material in a traditional classroom setting.

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