[LM_NET] Copyright, fair use, and legal issues

["Sara J. Reinders" <sreinders@ADACHRISTIAN.ORG>]

A 3-day stretch of rainy days and indoor recess has me thinking about my
role as copyright/fair use specialist in the building.


As I see it, I can inform and assist. I can follow the laws myself, but
I can't force my staff to follow them.  In other words, I'm responsible
for making sure my teachers are aware of the laws, and for helping them
follow the laws - maybe even setting up ways to make it easier to follow
the laws.  In the past I have given presentations and distributed
handouts on fair use.  I have also answered teachers' questions and
helped them obtain permission when fair use doesn't apply.  However,
once I have done this, I have no control over what happens in the
classrooms.  If an informed teacher chooses to violate fair use anyway,
there's nothing I can do about it, because I don't have authority over
the teachers.


So that's how I see my "copyright police" role these days, but I'm
wondering if I'm missing an important piece - such as, am I still
legally responsible for these classroom situations, even though I have
no authority over them?

 

Sara Reinders, LMS

Ada Christian School

Ada, MI

sreinders@adachristian.org

 


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