This article is for TEACHA! SELLERS.
Selling educational resources can be a great way to support fellow teachers, as well as parents and learners, while earning money for yourself – but it must be legal. Snapplify will take measures to prevent and address potential violations and will not assume liability for any legal actions by the original copyright owner. Sellers are solely responsible for ensuring that their resources comply with copyright laws.
Legally, you are only allowed to sell resources that:
- You have created yourself
- Don’t contain any other copyrighted material
Copyright is a form of intellectual property. Copyright protects creative, original ‘works of the mind’ that have been expressed in physical format. Copyright does not protect ideas.
Creative works that are covered by copyright include literary, musical, artistic, architectural works; published editions; film; photography; sculpture; recordings; broadcasts; computer programs; databases.
The period of copyright depends on the country where the work was produced, as well as what type of work it is. When the copyright term ends, the work goes into the public domain, which means that it is no longer protected by copyright and it may be used and reproduced freely (with proper acknowledgement).
Copyright law means that you may not copy information from a textbook or any other source and sell it as your own. You may not use any images without having acquired permission to use them in commercial products. Certain fonts are also copyrighted and you may need permission to use these for commercial purposes too.
Being copyright compliant
Pirated content is illegal but there are still many other materials you can access and use to make your resources, such as:
- Any audio file, video file, or document that you have made yourself.
- Any work that is in the public domain and not subject to copyright.
- Any work that falls under a Creative Commons licence (subject to possible restrictions).
- Any copyrighted work for which you have received written permission (from the copyright holder) to reproduce/use. The permission/licence must be for commercial purposes if you intend to sell the resource.
- You can find copyright-free images on websites like Pixabay or Open ClipArt, or by refining your Google search to find free-to-use images for commercial purposes.
- You can also purchase Clipart from 3AM Teacher, Whimsy Clips, Etsy Marketplace, and EduClips.
- Since Siyavula e-textbooks in Snapplify Engage are free and openly licensed, you can download and use this material for your own purposes. Be sure to check the licence details of each book before sharing and/or adapting commercially.
Addressing non-compliance
Snappify is committed to protecting the rights of content creators and ensuring compliance with copyright laws. If any resources are found to potentially infringe copyright, swift action will be taken.
- Sellers will have a grace period of 2 days to address claims and provide a rebuttal.
- Failure to respond or confirm infringement will result in the permanent removal of the resource and forfeiture of commissions.
- Repeated violations may lead to further penalties, including delays in publication or termination of seller status.
We urge all sellers to ensure their resources comply with copyright laws to support a fair and thriving educational community.
Need help? Use the live chat in the bottom right corner of your screen or email us at teacha@snapplify.com.
