Elizabeth C. Rodriguez

 A copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to authors of “original works of authorship.”  This includes literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and certain other creative works.  Material not protected by copyright (or otherwise protected) is available for use by anyone without the author’s consent.  A copyright holder can prevent others from copying, performing or otherwise using the work without his or her consent.

 Computer Software: 1 license means 1 computer. This means you may not use that software on more than one computer. It also means you are not to make copies.  Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: P2P file is not itself illegal. However it is often used to unauthorized downloading and uploading of copyrighted- protected material such as music, movies, video games, computer software and pictures.  Illegal Online Content: Universities and libraries whose computer systems or networks carry unauthorized copy-protected materials may have limited liability.

 The use of student-created material by an institution or its faculty requires permission from the copyright holder – the student.  Usage requiring consent includes the posting of student materials in a public location such as the internet or a campus art gallery.  Public posting of this nature may also be subject to state and/or federal privacy laws, as well as the academic institution’s own student- protection policies.

 Coursepack: is a collection of journal, magazine or newspaper articles, book excerpts and other material selected by a course instructor for distribution to students as required or supplemental reading. The course instructor, librarian or the coursepack producer (copy shop) may be responsible for obtaining the necessary rights to include copyrighted material in a coursepack.  Digital Content: Digital or electronic content, such as e-books, photographs on Web sites and electronic databases are subject to the same protections under the Copyright Act as non-digital, traditional or analog works. In addition, there are specific provisions relating to digital content in the 1998 amendment to the Copyright Act by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

 Course Management Systems: Course Management Systems (CMSs) are enhancing the educational experience for both face-to-face and distance learning by making it easier for students and instructors to communicate, teach and learn. While the value of a CMS is clear, there is much confusion when it comes to CMSs and copyright.  Instructors, IT department personnel, staff members and others who upload content to a CMS often believe that because the content is password-protected, copyright permission is not required or that someone else has obtained it prior to the registration process. This is not true. Unlike publisher-created content from the CMS vendor (who has already obtained the necessary permission), content that is uploaded by faculty members and others typically requires copyright permission.  When it comes to copyright, there is no difference between digital and paper- based environments.

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