The District recognizes that federal law makes it illegal to duplicate copyrighted materials without authorization of the holder of the copyright, except for certain exempt purposes. Severe penalties may be imposed on both the district and the user for unauthorized copying or using such copies of audio, visual, printed materials, or computer software, unless the copying or using conforms to the “fair use” doctrine. Failure to observe software license agreements may result in disciplinary action by the District and/or legal action by the copyright owner.
Copying, disseminating, publishing, or performance of copyrighted material is prohibited on any district provided service without permission from the copyright owner, or except as specifically delineated in this policy, except as allowed by “fair use.” Copies of permissions, electronic or otherwise must be provided to the superintendent or their designee. Fair use allows limited republication of copyrighted material. Educational use does not imply fair use. The tests of trans-formative use and limits on the extent of material republished must be observed as well as other district policies.
The superintendent or their designee(s) are the only individuals who may sign license agreements for software for the school.
While the District encourages its staff to enrich the learning programs by making proper use of supplementary materials, it is the responsibility of District staff to abide by the District’s copying procedures and obey the requirements of the law. Under no circumstances shall it be necessary for District staff to violate copyright requirements in order to perform their duties properly. The District cannot and will not be responsible for any violations of the copyright law by its staff.
Any staff member who is uncertain as to whether reproducing or using copyrighted material complies with the District’s procedures or is permissible under the law should contact the principal. The principal will assist staff in obtaining proper authorization to copy or use protected materials when such authorization is required.
Cross-Reference:
Policy 5471 Intellectual Property Rights
Legal Reference:
17 USC 101 to 1010 Federal Copyright Law of 1976.
Policy History:
First Reading: 11/26/02
Adopted on: 1/28/03
Revised on: 08/20/2009; September 16, 2015