New- Computer Use and Copyright Policies

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Michelle New

EDET 746

Computer Use and Copyright Policies and Regulations

September 19, 2012


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Computer Use and Copyright Policies New 1

Evaluation of Policies

When comparing the many different policies that are used in businesses,

companies, institutions, etc., there are no set standards pertaining to what each policy

should say or how each should be laid out. There is a wide variety in policies depending

on the business or institution setting them. What is included in the policy depends onthe different resources the site offers and what the use for the policy will be. The policies

can also be written with great detail and have a substantial length or they can be very

short and concise. Some can be very general is explaining what can and cannot be

done and some can be so specific as to narrowing down what can and cannot be done

when using certain technologies or resources. Many times, policies are written without

realization that others are going to be reading them and that those users may or may

not have the same background knowledge, vocabulary, or experience with the

information included, making it extremely difficult to comprehend. Below is an evaluation

of two computer use policies currently in place as well as an evaluation of two copyright

policies currently in place.The first computer use policy I chose to evaluate was one in place at the

University of South Carolina Aiken in the library. These types of policies can sometimes

be written in a language that only those writing it can comprehend. Policies written for

institutions, in particular, should really be written in such a way that all potential users

could understand what is expected of them and what is prohibited. If the users do not

understand, countless issues will arise and the policy will be seemingly pointless. This

university chose a very organized and to the point type of layout for their policy. They

also used language that was easy to understand and read. Students often look for

something that is easy and not a lot to read and if it is toowordy they will tend to not

read it. USC Aiken chose to write their policy in a bulleted form which, in my opinion,

caters directly to the students. This policy is one that could easily be posted in the

library where students can often reference back to it when needed.

This particular computer use policy does not have a statement of a purpose.

Even though this is for a university and the less is more strategy may be a good one to

use when writing a policy such as this, a short statement of purpose at the beginning

would be a good addition to this policy. The policy did, however, indicate what the

computers in the library are intended for and who the potential users of these computers

are. The policy also does not discuss the reasoning behind having a computer use

policy in place. An explanation of this reasoning would make this policy more

substantive.The policy does, however, state what is prohibited when the computers are

in use. Most policies have a list of prohibitions rather than what is the expected use ofthe computers. Since this policy was written for a university library, listing the

prohibitions is key to having a library run smoothly and efficiently. An interesting feature

in this computer use policy is that it offers alternative suggestions for one of the

prohibitions. The writers of the policy chose to bold and italicize the statements that

discuss the repercussions of violating the policy. Some policies include the permitted

uses but also include what the proper uses for the computers are; this policy does not


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list the proper uses. A major part of computer use policies, especially in schools, is the

issue of downloading software. Downloading software can cause major security issues

for an institution.

The second computer use policy I chose to evaluate was the one currently being

used at Newberry College in their library. Their policy combines both computer and

internet acceptable use. Unlike the computer use policy for USC Aiken, Newberryincluded a detailed introduction and purpose. This policy included the computers that

this policy specifically related to. (i.e. public access computer stations and laptops or

personal computers used in the library) This is a good addition to have in the policy

because it clearly states what types of situations it applies to. The college made sure to

list the primary clientele who would be using the computers and offered information for

those who are not primary clientele. This seemed to be a major issue in their policy. In

that same vein, there was an interesting inclusion of a section on Children/young adult

access to electronic information. The town of Newberry is a college town and the

community is involved greatly with the college. It is a family oriented town and the

college welcomes the community and family on campus all the time. Newberrys policyalso included the rights of the library users. Something unexpected in this policy is that

children using the computers would be expected to follow the same guidelines in the

policy and be held to the same standards as other users. I personally think that was a

very smart addition on the colleges part to have that section included in their policy.

As in most computer use policies, this policy included a list of permitted, or in this

case, what they call unacceptable uses. These were the typical unacceptable and

prohibited behaviors that are seen in most computer use policies. Also included in this

policy is a patron assistance section, something I had not seen in other computer use

policies. This gives the users an idea of what type of assistance they can expect from

the library staff and where they need to go if that type of assistance can not be obtained

in the library. Something interesting that I noted was that the only instance that

discusses consequences of violating the policy is found in the introduction. It is not

highlighted, bolded, or italicized or edited in any way to draw the readers attention to

that sentence. Students often skim when reading, so this important piece of information

could very easily be skipped over.

Copyright policies are much more structured and detailed than computer use

policies. Most copyright policies are written with several different headings and contain a

great deal more information. However, some are very short and dont give too much

detail but reference outside sources. These policies also, in most cases, tend to be

written in terms that can be difficult to understand for some readers/users.

The first copyright policy I chose to evaluate was the one in place at WinthropUniversity. This policy was written in 2006 and has not been updated since and that is

cause for concern. Much as changed in the past 6 years in terms of technologies and

laws and guidelines could have changed as well. It is always best to update the policy at

least every year just to make sure that it includes the most up to date and correct

information. The document is very user friendly in that it is written in sections and there

is a link that goes to each section, making it quick and easy to access the part that is


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needed. This policy includes the definition of copyright which is stated fairly clearly and

is easy to understand. They also include their purpose for having this policy and what

they expect to receive from it. Other parts of the policy, however, are more difficult to

understand. The scope of copyright policy section includes a great deal of information

on what mediums can be copyright protected. This section also includes information on

what fair use is and what circumstances are deemed fair use. The policy alsomentions two other Acts that deal with copyright but does not go into much detail on

either one. They do offer links to other sites about the Acts, however.

The second copyright policy I chose to evaluate was one being used at Stanford

University. This policy was last updated in 1998 and, as in the policy from Winthrop, is a

major cause for concern. This copyright policy, it seems, was a very specific policy

written just for Stanford University. It included the basic information on copyright such as

a definition and an explanation of what types of work can be considered for copyright

use. The policy also stated why the university has this policy in place. The policy is very

organized and structured and looks like an official policy. Some of the differences in this

policy include that it discusses the works of the institution and how copyright applies tothose works. It also discusses rights for those works created by non-employees.

Something unique that was included in this policy and not in others was the discussion

of Works For Hire. This is something I had never heard of. It is briefly mentioned in the

beginning of the policy but they include a detailed definition and description later in the

policy.

I found this policy to be a little difficult to read and understand. I also found it odd

that in the Copyright Policy section, only videotaping is addressed. Other copyrightable

works are not mentioned until the end of the policy and are simply just listed rather than

discussed. Stanfords policy also does not offer any information about a procedure to

follow when a user wants to use copyright material. This is something that will occur

quite often and users should know the proper way to go about gaining access to the

material. Another issue not discussed or included in this particular policy is what the

consequences are for violating the policy.

Justification of Policies

Deciding on what each policy should include and what could be left out is a much

more tedious and time-consuming task than people might think. As I mentioned above,

there is no set template/layout for these policies. Each policy is going to vary depending

on the institution. I found the computer use policy easier to write than the copyright. It

was more straightforward with mostly the same general rules/guidelines. I found it verydifficult to make a decision on whether or not to have a straightforward, shorter policy or

a more detailed and descriptive, longer policy when it came to the copyright policy.

Since this is an assignment to get us familiar with these types of policies, I chose to

keep mine short and simple. If this were a real project for my job, I would want to make

these policies as clear and concise but detailed as possible. It is my opinion that the

more detailed your policy is, the less room there is for speculation or confusion.


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For the computer use policy, I looked at several different examples and I also

used journal articles to help me make my decision about what should be included. What

I found in most examples was that they begin with a statement of purpose. It just so

happens that the two policies I chose for my evaluation did not have these statements of

purpose so I decided I wanted to make sure I included one in mine. A reoccurring

section I noticed was a permitted or unauthorized use section. I included a bulleted listso that it is easy to see and read. I also thought it was important to reiterate the

importance of not downloading unauthorized software (especially in a school system). I

found that several example policies included sections on personal use and that is

prohibited. I know from experience that when you are a school teacher and spend most

of your day at school, using the computers and internet for personal use will happen

occasionally. I also included a violations section to reinforce the importance of following

the policy and that there are repercussions for those who violate the policy. These

policies are in place for a reason and that is to make things run as smoothly and are

ultimately in the users best interest.

For the copyright policy, I once again used examples of other copyright policies ineffect now as a reference. I did know that I wanted to include a small section on what

copyright is and what types of things are copyright protected. I included that at the very

beginning because I feel it is very important. Something different I decided to do, in

order to keep my policy shorter, was to include websites to refer to if needed. Since I

was writing the policy for a school district, I thought it was crucial to include a section on

fair use seeing as it directly effects teachers. I wanted to include a section on the

punishments for violators to show how serious of an offense copyright really is. Some

people tend to shrug it off as if it is nothing and they wont get caught, but it is something

real and the punishments can be severe. Something I picked up from a few examples I

looked at was that some policies included information for the users on how to obtain

permission if they need it.


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References

Becker, H. J., & Riel, M. M. (n.d.). Teacher Professional Engagement and Constructivist-

Compatible Computer Use. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from

www.crito.uci.edu/papers/TLC/findings/report_7/report7.pdf

COPYRIGHT POLICY MOBILE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. (n.d.).

Retrieved September 19, 2012, from

images.pcmac.org/Uploads/MCPSS/MobileCounty/Departments/DocumentsCat

egories/Documents/CopyWrite%20Policy.pdf

CSL: Policies: Computer Use Policy. (n.d.). Computer Science - Duke University.

Retrieved September 19, 2012, from

http://www.cs.duke.edu/csl/policy/usage.php

Copyright Policy (RPH 5.2). (n.d.). Research Policy Handbook. Retrieved September 19,

2012, from http://rph.stanford.edu/5-2.html

Crews, K. D. (1993). Copyright, fair use, and the challenge for universities: promoting

the progress of higher education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

DiMaggio, P., & Hargittai, E. (n.d.). From the 'Digital Divide' to 'Digital Inequality':

Studying Internet Use as Penetration Increases*. Retrieved September 19, 2012,
http://www.crito.uci.edu/papers/TLC/findings/report_7/report7.pdfhttp://www.cs.duke.edu/csl/policy/usage.phphttp://rph.stanford.edu/5-2.htmlhttp://www.cs.duke.edu/csl/policy/usage.phphttp://rph.stanford.edu/5-2.htmlhttp://www.crito.uci.edu/papers/TLC/findings/report_7/report7.pdf


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from https://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap/WP15%20-%20DiMaggio

%2BHargittai.pdf

Gould, T., Lipinski, T., & Buchanan, E. (2005). Copyright Policies and the Deciphering of

Fair Use in the Creation of Reserves at University Libraries. The Journal of

Academic Librarianship, 31(3), 182-197.

Gregg Graniteville Library Policies . (2010, June 10). Gregg Graniteville Library Main

Policies. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from

library.usca.edu/index.php/Main/Policies#to2c%3E.

Loggie, K. A., Barron, A. E., Gulitz, E., Hohlfeld, T. N., Kromrey, J. D., Venable, M., et al.

(2006). An Analysis of Copyright Policies for Distance Learning Materials at

Major Research Universities. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 5(3), 224-

242. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from

http://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/5.3.1.pdf

Template - Computer Use Policy - Spiceworks. (n.d.). Spiceworks Community. Retrieved

September 19, 2012, from

http://community.spiceworks.com/education/projects/Template_-

_Computer_Use_Policy

Use Policy | Newberry College. (n.d.). Newberry College. Retrieved September 19,

2012, from

http://www.newberry.edu/academics/resources/wesselslibrary/usepolicy.aspx

Winthrop University Copyright Policy. (2006, August 9). Winthrop University Copyright

Policy. Retrieved September 19, 2012, from

www2.winthrop.edu/copyright/policy.htm
https://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap/WP15%20-%20DiMaggio%2BHargittai.pdfhttps://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap/WP15%20-%20DiMaggio%2BHargittai.pdfhttp://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/5.3.1.pdfhttp://community.spiceworks.com/education/projects/Template_-_Computer_Use_Policyhttp://community.spiceworks.com/education/projects/Template_-_Computer_Use_Policyhttp://www.newberry.edu/academics/resources/wesselslibrary/usepolicy.aspxhttps://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap/WP15%20-%20DiMaggio%2BHargittai.pdfhttps://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/workpap/WP15%20-%20DiMaggio%2BHargittai.pdfhttp://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/5.3.1.pdfhttp://community.spiceworks.com/education/projects/Template_-_Computer_Use_Policyhttp://community.spiceworks.com/education/projects/Template_-_Computer_Use_Policyhttp://www.newberry.edu/academics/resources/wesselslibrary/usepolicy.aspx


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Appendix A: Computer Use Policy

Berkeley County School District Computer Use Policy

Purpose

To better serve our students and provide our employees with the best tools to do their

jobs, BCSD makes available to our workforce access to one or more forms of electronicmedia and services, including computers, e-mail, telephones, voicemail, fax machines,

external electronic bulletin boards, wire services, online services, intranet, Internet and

the World Wide Web.

Permitted Uses

When using any of the above stated services, students and/or employees may not

knowingly communicate, retrieve, or store any information that is:

Discriminatory or harassing

Derogatory

Obscene, sexually explicit or pornographic Threatening or violent

Personal information or information belonging to others

Unacceptable activities include:

Destruction or damage of equipment

Alteration of equipment

Downloading unauthorized software

Using computer resources to violate any U.S. Copyright laws

Attempting to obtain unauthorized access

Software

In order to prevent viruses from being transmitted through the districts computer system,

unauthorized downloading of any unauthorized software is strictly prohibited. Only

software registered and/or approved through BCSD may be downloaded. If you have

any questions on this matter, contact the system administrator.

Personal Use

All students and employees of BCSC should refrain from using district equipment for

personal use. Limited, occasional, or incidental use of electronic media for personal,

nonbusiness purposes is understandable and acceptable, and all such use should be

done in a manner that dose not negatively affect their job. However, students and

employees are expected to demonstrate a sense of responsibility and not abuse this

privilege.

Violations

Any student or employee that abuses the privileges of their access to these services will

be subject to corrective action. Students who abuse these privileges will face


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Appendix A: Computer Use Policy

disciplinary action and will lose their privileges to use these services predominately or

only with supervision. Employees who abuse these privileges will also receive

disciplinary action that could include suspension, legal action, and possibly termination.


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Appendix B: Copyright Policy

Berkeley County School District Copyright Policy

Purpose

The Berkeley Country School District will operate in full compliance with the provisions

of current copyright laws and Congressional guidelines. All teachers, employees, faculty,and students are expected to abide by these laws and guidelines. Information about

copyright law and policies with be made available to all employees and students of

BCSD. Any teacher or student who should have any question or concern about

copyright law should seek further information before continuing.

What is Copyright?

Title 17, United States Code refers to copyright as: property right granted to authors and

creators of works. Copyright is necessary to advance the public welfare by promoting

artistic and scientific progress.

To learn more about Title 17 and Copyright Law, visit http://www.copyright.gov/title17/.

What is eligible for protection?

Any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, which can be

perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either with the aide of machine or

device.

Copyright Protected Mediums

Literary works (books, journal articles, poems, manuals, memoranda, tests,

computer programs, instructional material, databases, and bibliographies) Musical works including any accompanying words

Dramatic works including any accompanying music

Pantomimes and choreographic works

Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works (photographs, diagrams, sketches,

integrated circuit masks)

Motion pictures and other audiovisual works (videotapes)

Sound recordings

To learn more about what you can do as a teacher without breaking copyright law, visit

http://www.halldavidson.net/chartshort.html .

Fair Use

The term fair use allows for the copying of copyrighted material, under certain

circumstances. This doctrine allows for the reproduction of copyrighted work when it is

used for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for

classroom use), scholarship, or research. To be considered fair use, there are four

requirements:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ21.pdfhttp://www.copyright.gov/title17/http://www.halldavidson.net/chartshort.htmlhttp://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ21.pdfhttp://www.copyright.gov/title17/http://www.halldavidson.net/chartshort.html


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Appendix B: Copyright Policy

1. The use of the work must be for nonprofit educational purposes

2. The nature of the copyrighted work must be taken into consideration

3. The portion of the work used in relation to the whole

4. The effect of the use will not harm the potential market value of the work

There are also rules of fair use that are required to be applied. These include: Brevity- the amount of material copied from a work. As a general rule, no more

than 10% of the whole work should be used.

Spontaneity- this deals with spontaneity and copying at the instance under the

inspiration of the teacher. There is no time to request for permission.

Cumulative Effect- how much work is copied over time. This includes that the

copies being made are for only one course, no more than one short poem,

article, story, essay, or two excerpts may be coped from the same author during

the same term, no more than three authors from the same collective work may be

copied during the same term, and there shall not be more than nine instances of

such multiple copying for one course during one term.

To learn more about the Fair Use policy, visit http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html.

Violations

Those who choose to violate these copyright policies do so under their own risk and are

liable under the Copyright Law. The penalties for violating the Copyright Law can

include but are not limited to: paying the dollar amount of damages and profits, paying a

fee per work infringed, paying all attorney fees and court costs, or jail.

How To Get PermissionAny staff member who is uncertain as to whether reproducing or using copyrighted

material complies with the systems procedures or is permissible under the law should

contact the systems library media services department. The library media services

department will also assist staff in obtaining proper authorization to copy or use

protected material when such authorization is required.
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.htmlhttp://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html