About Yearbook Copyright Laws
Student-produced yearbooks are subject to the same copyright laws as other publications. It is vital for advisors and yearbook staff members to be aware of the regulations for what can and cannot be printed in a yearbook, because there can be stiff penalties for violation of copyright laws, even for schools and students.
Other People Are Reading
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Fair Use
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References to a work, such as in a parody, are acceptable as long as it is considered fair use; it must not lessen the value of that work.
Authors' Ideas
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If students wish to include the ideas of particular authors, they may not do so without permission even if they are paraphrasing. Simply using an idea and putting it into an entirely different context is acceptable.
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Public Domain
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Works that are over 75 years old or are owned (and/or authored) by the federal government are considered to be in the public domain and may be quoted from freely.
Copyright Free
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Students can usually include names, titles, slogans and other short phrases, individual words (even if they are a catchword for a product) and commonly seen symbols, as these cannot fall under copyright regulations.
Penalties
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If copyright laws are violated, the penalties can be stiff, including fines and prevention of the yearbook from being distributed.
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