Web-Based Learning: How Fair is ‘Fair Use’?

Abstract

The word ‘Web-based learning’ sounds good but smells bad when it comes to share the study material online in context of copyright laws. The current problem is that teachers are under the impression that everything they want to share with their students online finds protection under the Doctrine of Fair use under Copyrights law but the unfortunate part is he is totally unaware about the fact that sharing the study material online may not qualify as fair use if the same is shared with students enrolled in an online course outside the campus. The need of the present paper is to make Universities and teachers working there aware about the use of Web based learning without violating the copyright laws of the land. The paper is purely conceptual and only available literatures have been taken in updating the paper following the doctrinal method of study.