UPDATED: Open License for “Harry Potter” Granted to Teachers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous challenges, and we know that this is a difficult time for many people. For educators who are required to use technology to teach their students due to ongoing school closures across the world, however, one small barrier was just lifted: some of the copyright restrictions related to the recording of the Harry Potter books.
Courtesy of J.K. Rowling and the Blair Partnership, teachers have been granted an open license to record themselves reading from the series on secure school networks or educational platforms. In a news posting to Rowling’s official website dated with today’s date, March 20, more details on the license were made available.
Teachers anywhere in the world are permitted to post videos of themselves reading from Harry Potter books 1-7 onto schools’ secure networks or closed educational platforms from today until the end of the school year (or the end of July in southern hemisphere).
It is, according to Rowling’s website, “the first of several initiatives being planned to help bring Harry Potter to children at home, which will be announced shortly.” The initiative has been accompanied by the hashtag #HarryPotterAtHome.
Full guidelines for teachers on the terms of the temporary licensing agreement are available online. This includes reporting requirements to the Blair Partnership, one of which being the confirmation that the recorded videos will be deleted at the end of the current school year.
Do you use the Harry Potter series as a teaching tool? Will you use this temporary license to continue reading to your students? Tell us in the comments below!
UPDATE (January 12, 2021):
Due to the current lockdown in the United Kingdom, Rowling’s website states that this license has been extended until February 19, 2021, and also includes The Ickabog. Additionally, please note that the above article was written prior to MuggleNet’s articulation of its commitment to the Harry Potter fandom.