Disclaimer:  I am not an attorney, and the guidelines on this page should not be used in the place of legal counsel from an attorney versed in school and copyright law.

There are a number of laws that technology and media educators must keep in mind. These laws are under constant challenge and scrutiny, and are subject to change. Check the laws constantly and be aware of developments in this area.

Here are some of the major ones:

CPPA - Child Pornography Prevention Act. CPPA expanded the definition of child pornography. CPPA criminalized the creation of what is called “virtual child pornography,” or “morphed” child pornography. Under CPPA images that appear to depict children but do not, including images of youthful-looking adults or images that are computer-generated would be illegal.

COPA - Child Online Protection Act. COPA prohibits the transmission of any material over the Internet deemed “harmful to minors,” if the communication was made for a commercial purpose.

CIPA - Children's Internet Protection Act. CIPA requires libraries and schools to install filters on their Internet computers to retain federal funding and discounts for computers and computer access.

To find up-to-date reports on these laws and others, check the following Web sites frequently:  American Library Association and eSchool News.