
Copy(write): Intellectual Property in the Writing Classroom
Martine Courant Rife, Lansing Community College
Shaun Slattery, DePaul University and the University of South Florida Polytechnic
Dànielle Nicole DeVoss, Michigan State University
Copyright Year:
ISBN 13: 9781602352643
Publisher: WAC Clearinghouse
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND
Reviews





A thorough and well-structured examination of intellectual property, copyright law, and fair use in writing education. read more
Reviewed by Maria Kalyvaki, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Minnesota State University Mankato on 3/3/25
Comprehensiveness
A thorough and well-structured examination of intellectual property, copyright law, and fair use in writing education.
Content Accuracy
Grounded in legal scholarship, historical context, and current academic discussions on copyright and fair use.
Relevance/Longevity
Highly relevant for educators and students navigating intellectual property in the digital age.
Clarity
Well-written, engaging, and accessible, balancing legal complexity with practical application.
Consistency
Maintains a strong, cohesive approach to intellectual property discussions throughout.
Modularity
Divided into well-organized sections (law, tools, and pedagogy), allowing for easy navigation and selective reading.
Organization/Structure/Flow
Flows logically, with expert commentary concluding each section for deeper reflection.
Interface
Clear layout, structured content, and accessible digital availability enhance usability.
Grammatical Errors
Professionally edited with excellent grammar and academic rigor.
Cultural Relevance
Addresses global perspectives on copyright and intellectual property, making it broadly applicable.
CommentsIt is a must-read for educators, researchers, and students in writing and content creation studies. This book offers valuable insights into fair use, authorship, and digital composition in today’s classrooms. Highly recommended!





This book provides a comprehensive historical and contemporary overview of issues related to copyright scholarship, legal implications, and pedagogy in the context of changing political and technological landscapes. Pioneering scholars in the... read more
Reviewed by Noelle Paufler, Assistant Professor, University of North Texas on 4/11/17
Comprehensiveness
This book provides a comprehensive historical and contemporary overview of issues related to copyright scholarship, legal implications, and pedagogy in the context of changing political and technological landscapes. Pioneering scholars in the field join others to contribute timely chapters discussing a range of related topics that would be beneficial for scholars, teachers, and students across disciplines.
Content Accuracy
The content in this book is well written in terms of technical accuracy and represents a plethora of voices that discuss copyright related topics from different perspectives.
Relevance/Longevity
Although this book was written a few years ago, the text provides a thorough review of historical issues related to copyright while also addressing contemporary issues stemming from emerging technologies (e.g., challenges posed by students’ increasing access to potentially copyrighted materials online without adequate guidance on fair use and plagiarism). The text can easily be updated to include new technologies without negating the larger discussion about persistent issues on the topic.
Clarity
The text is written in a clear, concise style that would be accessible to students, teachers, and scholars with varied levels of background knowledge on the topic.
Consistency
The editors provide a compelling introduction with detailed descriptions of the overarching themes in the text as well as each chapter. Chapter authors also use consistent terminology to discuss these themes as they relate to nuanced copyright issues.
Modularity
The chapters could easily be assigned in different courses or at different points in a course to meet specific objectives. Although the chapters could stand alone as reading assignments, it would be helpful for students to read the book’s Preface as well as the Response at the end of each of the three parts in the book.
Organization/Structure/Flow
The books is divided into three parts with chapters related by topic. The table of contents provides the structure for the book: 1) The Law, the Landscape; 2) The Tools; and 3) The Pedagogy. The book’s Preface provides an excellent overview of the purpose and relevance of the topic in general and each chapter. Each of the three parts contains a Response that addresses overarching themes presented in that section.
Interface
The book is easy accessible as a PDF. Surprisingly, there are very few images or figures in the book. More visual examples would have been helpful.
Grammatical Errors
The text does not contain any obvious grammar errors.
Cultural Relevance
The book addresses copyright issues in a general way that is culturally relevant.
CommentsThis book is an excellent resource for students, teachers, and scholars alike who are interested in learning more about copyright issues from a scholarly, pragmatic perspective.





Excellent guide and handbook for Intellectual Property in Journalismand Media Studies courses and classrooms. read more
Reviewed by Deborah Shuford, Lecturer, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ on 2/8/17
Comprehensiveness
Excellent guide and handbook for Intellectual Property in Journalismand Media Studies courses and classrooms.
Content Accuracy
Copyright and the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. Current and Accurate.
Accurate Examples: Apple iPhone Screen Shots and Intellectual Properties.
Relevance/Longevity
In the Digital Age today, very relevant.
Clarity
Very Clear and Concise.
Consistency
Professional Terminology with simple examples.
Modularity
Student Friendly. Timely and Saaby.
Organization/Structure/Flow
Easy flow, clear and concise.
Interface
Great interface. Great Technology.
Grammatical Errors
Excellent grammar.
Cultural Relevance
I Agree with chapter 7: Is Digital The New Digital. Yes. BRAVO!
CommentsExcellent Textbook for Journalism and Media Studies Students. BRAVO. Cheers!
Table of Contents
Part I: The Law, the Landscape
- The Fair Use Battle for Scholarly Works, Jeffrey Galin
- Plagiarism and Promiscuity, Authors and Plagiarisms, Russel Wiebe
- Authoring Academic Agency: Charting the Tensions between Work-for-hire University Copyright Policies,Timothy R. Amidon
- Soul Remedy: Turnitin and the Visual Design of End User License Agreements, Barclay Barrios
- Images, the Commonplace Book, and Digital Self-Fashioning, Bob Whipple
- Intellectual Properties in Multimodal 21st-Century Composition Classrooms, Tharon W. Howard
- Is Digital the New Digital?: Pedagogical Frames of Reference and Their Implications in Theory and Practice, Robert Dornsife
- Response to Part I—"An Act for the Encouragement of Learning" vs. Copyright, John Logie
Part II: The Tools
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Fair Use: Conversations on Writing Pedagogy, New Media, and Copyright Law, Steve Westbrook
- Parody, Penalty, and Pedagogy, E. Ashley Hall, Kathie Gossett, and Elizabeth Vincelette
- Copy-rights and Copy-wrong: Intellectual Property in the Classroom Revisited, Janice R. Walker
- Rhetorical Velocity and Copyright: A Case Study on Strategies of Rhetorical Delivery, Jim Ridolfo and Martine Courant Rife
- Following the Framers: Choosing Pedagogy to Further Fair Use and Free Speech, TyAnna Herrington
- Response to Part II—Being Rhetorical When We Teach Intellectual Property and Fair Use, James E. Porter
Part III: The Pedagogy
- Toward a Pedagogy of Fair Use for Multimedia Composition, Renee Hobbs and Katie Donnelly
- Intellectual Property Teaching Practices in Introductory Writing Courses, Nicole Nguyen
- Moving Beyond Plagiarized / Not Plagiarized in a Point, Click, and Copy World, Leslie Johnson-Farris
- Couture et Écriture: What the Fashion Industry Can Teach the World of Writing, Brian Ballentine
- The Role of Authorship in the Practice and Teaching of Technical Communication, Jessica Reyman
- Response to Part III—Fair Use: Teaching Three Key IP Concepts, Rebecca Moore Howard
- Afterword, Clancy Ratliff
- Biographical Notes
- Index
About the Book
The editors of Copy(write): Intellectual Property in the Writing Classroom bring together stories, theories, and research that can further inform the ways in which we situate and address intellectual property issues in our writing classrooms. The essays in the collection identify and describe a wide range of pedagogical strategies, consider theories, present research, explore approaches, and offer both cautionary tales and local and contextual successes that can further inform the ways in which we situate and address intellectual property issues in our teaching.
About the Contributors
Editors
Martine Courant Rife, JD, PhD, is a professor of writing at Lansing Community College, where she teaches courses in digital authorship, technical and business writing, and first-year composition. She serves as Senior Chair of the CCCC-IP Caucus and is a CCCC-IP Committee member. Rife received the 2007 Frank R. Smith Outstanding Journal Article Award for "Technical Communicators and Digital Writing Risk Assessment."
Shaun Slattery is a strategy consultant for a social software company and has been a faculty member at DePaul University and the University of South Florida Polytechnic, where he taught technical and professional writing and new media. His research on digital writing practices has been published in Technical Communication Quarterly; Technical Communication; Rhetorically Rethinking Usability: Theories, Practices, and Methodologies (Hampton Press, 2009); and Digital Writing Research: Technologies, Methodologies, and Ethical Issues (Hampton Press, 2007).
Dànielle Nicole DeVoss is a professor of professional writing at Michigan State University. Her co-edited collections include Digital Writing Research: Technologies, Methodologies, and Ethical Issues (with Heidi McKee; Hampton, 2007), which won the 2007 Computers and Composition Distinguished Book Award, and Technological Ecologies and Sustainability (with Heidi McKee & Dickie Selfe; Computers and Composition Digital Press, 2007). She also published—with Elyse Eidman-Aadahl & Troy Hicks—Because Digital Writing Matters (Jossey-Bass, 2010).