My Copyright Action Plan

The law of copyright is a very serious topic. One fact new to my knowledge was explained by www.copyright.com, that a list of ingredients or contents cannot be copyrighted. For example, if a bottle of water was being sold and the ingredients listed "water," the list of ingredients for that bottle of water cannot be copyrighted. I understand this rule because if it were the opposite, there would be no existence of brands because only one owner could own the list of ingredients or contents. Another fact new to my knowledge according to www.copyright.com, was that an educator can use material if it is unexpected or spontaneous. For instance, an educator may use a newspaper from that morning if the article is relevant to that day's class lesson. I could use this especially in my communication arts class because depending on my lesson for that day, many articles from that morning’s newspaper could pertain to my topic. A third fact about copyright is that you cannot record television programs onto VHS tapes. I have done this before to record a show or sporting event that I would have missed to watch the program later. However, I was unaware of this copyright law. I do not understand why VCRs have a recording option, if in any instance, recording is illegal. I will be more aware of copyright laws and change some of my actions according to my new knowledge. Also, as an educator, I plan to check and review the copyright laws occasionally to stay professional and ethical.