The second article in a four-part continuing education course on legal issues affecting libraries and librarians addresses the issues of liability insurance, malpractice, and copyright laws pertaining to print materials and computer software. (12 references) (CLB)

The Copyright Act of 1976, particularly the guidelines on fair use, did much to clarify the ambiguity of the 1909 Copyright Act in relation to new electronic media. Although some specific guidelines for teachers were included, it should be noted that microcomputers and disk drives were not yet widely available in 1976. Because experts were divided…

Designed to provide educators with guidance for the lawful reproduction of computer software, this document contains suggested guidelines, sample forms, and several short articles concerning software copyright and license agreements. The initial policy statement calls for educators to provide software developers (or their agents) with a…

Various legal methods, such as copyright, trade secret, and patent law, protect proprietary rights in computer software. Users of this software must respect these rights or face infringement lawsuits. (TE)

This discussion of copyright protection for computer programs focuses on the "first sale doctrine" and "shrink wrap" licenses, copyright of databases, copyright ownership, and copyright notices. (EM)

Building on the 1983 policy statement developed by the International Council for Computers in Education (ICCE), this statement recommends the adoption of a school district copyright policy, adoption of the suggested software use guidelines, and use of the copyright page of software documentation to ascertain user's rights, obligations, and licence…

Provides an overview of the legal nature of copyright, its history, and present status. Current issues of concern to information professionals are then discussed, including reproduction and distribution of copyrighted material, interlibrary loans, the "Five-Year Review" of the current law, technology, nonprint materials, and databases.…

Explores some of the difficult areas of copyright protection for computer software including legal and illegal copying; values imparted to students if illegal software copies are used; and teacher and administrator responsibility. A suggested school district policy on software copyright is presented. (MBR)

Designed to provide guidance for librarians, this publication expresses the opinion of the legal counsel of the American Library Association (ALA) regarding library and classroom use of copyrighted videotapes and computer programs. A discussion of videotapes considers the impact of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976 on in-classroom use, in-library…

Focusing on issues surrounding the unauthorized copying of software, this pamphlet is particularly concerned with the illegality of such action and the necessity for educators to respect the intellectual work and property of others. Some relevant facts about unauthorized copying of software are followed by a statement of principle about…

Answers questions on software copyright pertaining to teacher/media specialist responsibilities, use of purchased and leased software, backup copies, public domain software, warranties, defective goods, and software lending policies. Information on an existing public domain software-exchange program and a policy statement of International Council…

This review of sections of copyright laws most relevant to media librarians covers requirements of authors, sole rights of copyright owners, fair use and other exceptions to sole rights, the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) case, the Sony case, exempt public performances, and computer software. Twenty-nine references are provided.…

Intended to help librarians, library media specialists, administrators, and educators better understand the ramifications of the copyright law, Public Law 94-553, this document asks and answers some of the basic questions concerning compliance with the law. Topics covered include definition of the copyright law; scope of copyright protection;…

Discusses the copyright act in general; presents a discourse on three sections of the law especially significant to computer programs (fair use, first sale, and like rights in computer programs); and discusses copying to and from hard disks and library liability with regard to the law's three specific sections. (MBR)

Provides guidelines intended to help teachers, librarians, and administrators recognize when they must obtain permission to copy, perform, or display a work. Reviews the exceptions to the copyright law and its application to photocopying, reproduction by libraries and archives, videotaping, live and transmitted performances, and computer programs.…