Because of copyright, many kids never hear King speech

A copyright on audio tapes of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 I Have a Dream speech means many students never get to hear it. Educators and historians say that is affecting the legacy of the civil rights leader, The Washington Post reported.

It lessens the historical saliency of King for younger kids, said Robert Brown, assistant dean of undergraduate education at Emory University in Atlanta.

All of King's speeches and papers are owned by his family, which has gone to court several times since the 1990s to protect its copyright.

When King was killed, his family was left without much money. The family earns income from licensing his image and charging fees for the use of his speeches, the newspaper said.

The family's Web site says videotapes and audiotapes of the speech can be purchased for $10. Many schools, however, don't know what materials are available.

Many schools use the text --often taken in violation of the copyright from the Internet. The King family, however, wants teachers to use the speech and has not pursued legal action against educators, said Clayborne Carson, director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute.