The impact of the 1976 copyright laws on educational institutions is unclear. This sixteenth chapter of a book on school law discusses copyright legislation and cases of interest to educators, dividing copyright problems into four categories: photocopying, performance, videotaping, and computer programs. The guidelines that can be drawn from legislation and court cases concerning photocopying include these: an individual may make a single copy of copyrighted material for purposes of teaching, research, or scholarship, but no special rights are granted to teachers, and illegal photocopying of music may be more likely to be prosecuted than copying of other materials. The 1976 Copyright Law sets forth several guidelines regarding performance, most notably that in nonclassroom settings, dramatic work receives more protection than nondramatic selections. Judicial and legislative guidelines pertaining to videotaping indicate that teachers may videotape educational television broadcasts for use in teaching as long as the tape is used within seven days and then erased. Actions by Congress and the courts concerning computer programs suggest several guidelines, including these: a single copy of a computer program may be made by the owner of the program and multiple copying of programs by educational institutions may escape infringement actions. (Author/JM)