Final answer:
A teacher may be protected under fair use when making copies of copyrighted material for classroom use, but this is not guaranteed. Students should be aware that copying content without attribution is considered plagiarism and can result in serious consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
A teacher making multiple copies of a copyrighted article for classroom use may be protected under fair use if certain criteria are met. These criteria include the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the work as a whole, and the effect of the use on the potential market for or value of the work. However, this protection is not absolute and must align with fair use guidelines. In situations where the teacher is unsure, seeking permission from the copyright holder is advised.
In contrast, a student who copies a passage word for word from a website into a paper without providing quotation marks or author attribution is committing plagiarism. While copyright holders may not always pursue legal action against students, the ethical and educational consequences of plagiarism can be serious. Students should therefore always cite their sources and ensure they do not claim copyrighted material as their own without proper attribution.