FAIR USE COPYRIGHT LAW

We are frequency contacted by teachers and students for permission to use our cartoons for free. The fair usage portion of copyright law ONLY allows for free usage when used as an instructional teaching tool. We have found that there is much confusion as to what this means. We asked our lawyer for a clarification and here is how he explained it to us.

If you are teaching a class lesson on parodies and you take one of our cartoons that is an actual parody and in the process of showing the cartoon you explain why this cartoon is a parody, then the cartoon has been used as an instructional teaching tool.
Example: http://www.offthemark.com/search-results/key/1999-10-27/

If however, you are teaching a class lesson on the Periodic Table of Elements and you show your class one of our cartoons that features the Periodic Table in the cartoon, then this cartoons was used for entertainment value to accompany the class lesson but is not essential for use in teaching the class about the Periodic Table of Elements.
Example: http://www.offthemark.com/search-results/key/2001-09-29/

Here is some links about the fair use portion of copyright law:

US LAW http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

COPYRIGHT MYTHS http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm

Profit vs Non-Profit Rate:
This rate is determined solely based on how your government has determined your company's tax status

Even if you are not paid nor charging a fee you would be considered for-profit if you are giving the presentation or producing a flyer on behalf of a for-profit organization. For example: if you are an accountant giving a presentation at a chamber of commerce meeting, you would be considered for-profit. Non-profit includes: Charities, religions, public schools, and for private personal use such as family newsletters.

We do not provide free usage. The cartoons are our company's product. If we gave away free usage, we would not have a product to sell. Thank you for understanding.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE IMAGES FROM WEBSITE.