2531 - COPYRIGHTED WORKS
The Board of Education directs its staff and students to use copyrighted works only to the extent that the law permits. The Board recognizes that Federal law applies to public school districts and the staff and students must, therefore, avoid acts of copyright infringement under penalty of law.
In accordance with provisions of the copyright law, exclusive rights of reproduction, distribution, adaptations, performance and display will be granted to the creator of the work unless:
Fair use or educational exclusions apply;
Licensing agreements are obtained;
Written permission is granted by the copyright owner; or
Materials are exempt from exclusive rights specifications.
Educators and students have access to print, images, websites, moving-image media, and sound media in both analog and digital forms. In all cases, a digital copy is the same as a hard copy in terms of "fair use". Also, today’s technology allows for the creation of multi-media presentations by educators and students. It is the responsibility of course instructors to be familiar with copyright laws and to instruct students in responsible use of images, audio and print materials. The District assumes no liability for copyright infringement by individuals employees and others using school equipment in violation of this policy. Notices of copyright restrictions shall be placed on and/or near those devices that could be used for copying materials or information (e.g., computer labs, digital functional copier). They shall also be posted on the media centers’ web pages, along with links to other resources regarding use of copyrighted works. General copyright information will be provided to staff on an annual basis.
Because the Board hosts a web site and stores information on it at the direction of users, it is classified as an on-line service provider for copyright purposes. In order to limit the Board’s liability risk relating to material/information residing, at the direction of a user, on its system or network, the Board directs the Superintendent to annually appoint an individual as the agent to receive notification of claimed infringement. A link to the agent’s name, mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address shall appear on the home page of the Board’s web site. Such contact information, along with the appropriate filing fee, shall also be provided to the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress.
The agent shall be responsible for investigating and responding to any complaints.