Copyright Policy Template

This sample policy was created to assist you in developing a copyright

compliance policy for your organization. Please feel free to use this
sample as a guideline in creating your own compliance policy. Due to the
complex nature of copyright, it is recommended that your policy be
reviewed by a lawyer who has an understanding of both copyright law and
your organizations use of copyrighted materials. This sample policy is
not intended as legal advice or to serve as a substitute for legal counsel.

A. Statement of General Principles

This section should be a broad based policy statement about your

companys approach to respecting and protecting the intellectual
property rights of others

EXAMPLES OF INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS TO A FOCUSED COPYRIGHT POLICY

A. [Company] fully supports US and international copyright law and

requires all of our employees to fulfill our moral and legal obligations
with respect to our use of the copyright protected materials of others. To
that end, and in fulfillment of our commitment to protect the principles
of copyright in general, employees of [Company] should seek permission
to use copyrighted works whenever appropriate and, when unsure
whether permission is required, seek advice from the Copyright Officer
identified below.

AND
B. [Company] acknowledges that copyright infringement is a violation of

the law and may impose civil and/or criminal liability on the individual
infringer, as well as on the infringers employer. Therefore, every
employee is required to comply with copyright law and adhere to this
copyright policy. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.

OR THE FOLLOWING BROADER STATEMENT ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

[Company] respects intellectual property and has made it a priority to ensure all
employees respect the copyrights of others. Every employee of [Company] is
required to comply with copyright law and to adhere to [Companys] copyright
policy and guidelines. Copyright infringement through inappropriate copying or
distribution of copyrighted content is a personal as well as a company liability and
will result in disciplinary action.
FOLLOW THE INITIAL STATEMENT WITH THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH
[Companys] copyright policy provides a brief summary of U.S. copyright law,
particularly as it relates to the use of others' copyright-protected materials,
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including published materials, and to provide procedures for obtaining copyright

permission that should be used consistently throughout [Company].
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B. Goal of the Copyright Compliance Policy

This section should specifically reference an expectation that employees

adhere to your companys rules regarding the use of copyrighted
materials both internally and external to your company
This section should be broad based to include full and part time
employees, and should also extend to all consultants, contractors and
agents working with your company

EXAMPLES OF GOAL STATEMENTS

A. The goal of this policy is meant to fulfill our obligations under copyright law

and to acknowledge our respect for the rights of others. [Company]

provides the following rules and procedures relating to copyright
compliance when using copyrighted materials both internally among
coworkers and external to [Company]. It is our expectation that each
employee, consultant, contractor or agent of [Company] will adhere to
these policies and procedures.

OR
B.

Copyright laws are generally not straightforward and they have many gray
areas. The goal of this policy is to provide [Companys] employees (whether
on a permanent, temporary or contract basis) consultants, and agents with
a uniform approach to addressing complex copyright issues. [Company]
has designated [Name, Title] as the Copyright Officer to administer our
organization's copyright policy. [Name] will oversee periodic updates to the
policy, as well as updates resulting from related changes in policy or law.
The aim of this policy is to provide practical advice and procedures, but it is
not a substitute for legal advice. Proper legal advice should be obtained
whenever necessary. Questions regarding this policy and other topics such
as fair use should be directed to [Name], Copyright Officer. [Name] can also
assist you in obtaining advice from a lawyer if needed.

C. Important Information about Copyright

This section should provide basic information about copyright
What is Copyright?
The purpose of copyright law is to provide authors and other creators (and
those who obtain rights through such persons) with an incentive to create and
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share creative works by granting them exclusive rights to control how their
works may be used. Among the exclusive rights granted to those authors are
the rights to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display a
work. These rights provide copyright holders control over the use of their
creations, and an ability to benefit, monetarily and otherwise, from the
exploitation of their works. Copyright also protects the right to make a
derivative work, such as a movie from a book;
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the right to include a piece in a collective work, such as publishing an article

in a book or journal; and the rights of attribution and integrity for authors of
certain works of visual art. If you are not the copyright holder, you must
ordinarily obtain permission prior to re-using or reproducing someone elses
copyrighted work. Acknowledging the source of a work, for instance, is not a
substitute for obtaining permission. However, permission generally is not
necessary for actions that do not implicate the exclusive rights of the
copyright holder, such as reviewing, reading or borrowing a book or
photograph.
What is Protected by Copyright?
The rights granted under the U.S. Copyright Act (embodied in Title 17 of the
U.S. Code) are intended to benefit authors of original works of authorship,
including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic,
choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural and audiovisual
creations. This means that virtually any creative work that you may come
across in readable or viewable format, including books, magazines, journals,
newsletters, maps, charts, photographs, graphic materials; unpublished
materials, such as analysts' reports and consultants' advice; and non-print
materials, including Web sites, computer programs and other software,
databases, sound recordings, motion pictures, video files, sculptures and
other artistic works are almost certainly protected by copyright.
What is NOT Protected by Copyright?
Not everything is protected by copyright. This includes: works that are not
fixed; titles, names, slogans; ideas, facts and data; listings of ingredients or
contents; natural or self-evident facts; and public domain works (more on this
below). Some of these things may, however, be protected under other areas
of law, such as patent or trademark law, or by contract. It is important to be
sure that no other form of protection restricts the use of such materials before
using them.
How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?
In the U.S., a work created on or after January 1, 1978 is ordinarily protected
for a term equal to the author's life plus 70 years after the author's death.
This is called the life-plus-70 rule. Works created by companies or other
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types of organizations have a copyright term of 95 years. For works created

before 1978, the duration of protection depends on a number of factors. For
comprehensive information on duration, see:
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#hlc.
Fair Use
Fair use is a defense under U.S. law that may be raised by the defendant in a
copyright infringement case. Fair use recognizes that certain types of use of
other people's copyright protected works do not require the copyright holder's
authorization. The fair use doctrine is codified in Section 107 of the U.S.
Copyright Act. See: www.copyright.gov/title17/. Although there are no
absolute rules around fair use, generally the reproduction (photocopy or
digital)
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or use of someone elses copyright-protected work is more likely to be found

to be a fair use if it is for one of the following purposes: criticism, comment,
news reporting, teaching, scholarship or academic research.
To determine whether a particular use qualifies as fair use, the statute
requires a fact-specific analysis of the use, based upon four factors:
1. The purpose and character of the use (for example, whether for
commercial or nonprofit educational use).
2. The nature of the copyright-protected work (is it primarily factual or
highly creative?).
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used.
4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the
copyright-protected work.
All four factors must be considered and balanced against the other factors as
part of each fair use analysis. Although some see fair use as a solution to
many of their reproduction activities, the scope of the fair use doctrine is
much narrower than most people assume. Further, fair use is an ambiguous
notion and the law does not state exactly how, or how much of, a work may
be used without obtaining permission. As a consequence, even copyright law
experts often have a difficult time predicting the outcome in cases involving
fair use.
The bottom line is that fair use requires an appropriate risk assessment as to
whether re-use under certain circumstances may be considered fair use. In
order to avoid any copyright risk, [Company] permits uses of short quotes
from works. Otherwise, permission procedures as set out in this policy should
be followed and the advice of [Companys] Copyright Officer should be sought
in instances where a fair use determination may be necessary.
Copyright and Foreign Works
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The U.S. is a member of two major copyright treaties, the Berne Convention
and the Universal Copyright Convention. As such, when [Company] uses a
copyright-protected work from almost any other country, U.S. copyright law
applies to the use of that work, assuming the use takes place in the United
States. Similarly, the copyright laws of other participating countries apply to
the use of U.S. works in those countries. While these treaties establish
certain conventions that render the laws of participating countries consistent
to some degree, there are differences in each countrys law and [Companys]
Copyright Officer should be consulted if there are questions regarding the use
of materials by employees or others outside the U.S. Licensing intermediaries
such as Copyright Clearance Center offer agreements that allow the use of
materials from other countries as well as the use of materials across borders,
which can simplify the permission process a great deal.
Copyright and Digital Works
Any non-digital content that is protected by copyright is also protected in a
digital form. For example, print books are protected by copyright law, as are
electronic books. A print letter is
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protected by copyright law, as is an e-mail letter. In both cases, the copyright

is generally owned by the author, regardless of who has received the letter.
Whenever you wish to use material
found on a website, it is always important to review and understand the terms
of use for that site because those terms will tell you what use, if any, you can
make of the materials you find there. When obtaining permission to use works
on the Web (such as posting them on [Companys] public-facing corporate
website), always attempt to obtain worldwide rights, as most Web uses of
content are on a global basis.

D.Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Copyrighted Materials

This section should provide guidance and information to enable

employees to make appropriate decisions about the materials they need
to use in their work.
This section should outline steps and processes to ensure the
compliance of employees and the nature and extent of any disciplinary
actions if non compliance is discovered.

[Company] Employees Obligations under Copyright Law

No employee of [Company] may reproduce any copyrighted work in print,
video or digital form in violation of the law. Works are considered protected
even if they are not registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and employees
of [Company] must assume that most materials used are copyrighted until
proven otherwise.

Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 978-750-8400 Fax 978-646-8600 copyright.com

If an employee wants to use material that is not covered by copyright, he or

she should confirm that the material is not protected by any other area of
law, such as trademark or trade secret law. If it has been created by an
employee of the company, they can use the material freely, subject to the
guidelines set forth at the end of this document any corporate policies on the
use of company-generated materials. If there is any doubt whether a work is
covered by copyright it is best to be cautious and to follow the procedures
established for the use of copyrighted works.
When a work is copyrighted, you must seek out and receive through a license
or the express written permission of the copyright holder, the right to reuse
the copyrighted work in order to avoid an infringement of copyright, unless it
is determined in consultation with the Copyright Officer and, if appropriate,
legal counsel, that the use would constitute a fair use.
[Company] has negotiated licenses with publishers and other copyright
holders that allow employees to use and share their materials. These licenses
have restrictions and specific terms of use. As a result, it is critical that an
employee investigate what the permitted uses are before copying or sharing
any copyrighted materials. Please consult and implement the procedures
outlined in this policy.
Any employee who violates [Company] copyright policy may be subject to
disciplinary action up to and including termination.
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[Companys] Rights with Regard to Computer Systems and Software

[Company] reserves the right to monitor employee computer systems
(including desktop, lap top and handheld devices) and any content stored on
an employees computer system.
[Company] also reserves the right to remove, delete, modify or otherwise
disable access to any materials found to be infringing of copyright.
Any shareware or software to be used on [Companys] computers should be
licensed by [Company] if they are to be used by an employee, consultant or
contractor. For the security and safety of our systems they should also be
installed with the permission and assistance of our
Information Technology staff. Employees are reminded that all computers,
equipment and software supplied by [Company] are subject to periodic audit.
If an employee is issued a password to access information licensed by
[Company] the employee is expected to take all reasonable measures to
protect the security of the password and not to share the password with
anyone.
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Use of Company-Created Materials

Whenever an employee of [COMPANY] creates written or other creative
material (such as a Web presentation or audiovisual piece), that material is
presumptively protected by copyright. Works created within the scope of or
related to your job are automatically owned by the Company as works made
for hire under the U.S. Copyright Act. When works are to be created by
contractors or consultants to [COMPANY], the contract with such contractor or
consultant should specify that all works created under that contract are
deemed to be works for hire and that if such works do not become the
property of [COMPANY] as a matter of law, the contractor or consultant
thereby assigns all of his/her/its rights in such works to [COMPANY]. Please
consult with the Copyright Officer or manager if you have any questions
regarding the engagement of outside contractors or consultants.
When you use company-created copyrighted materials, you should always
include a proper copyright notice on any materials that will be distributed
outside the company. Of course, any external distribution is also subject to
any confidentiality restrictions applicable to that material.
If you become aware of any unauthorized use or distribution of companycreated materials, you should promptly notify the Copyright Officer or legal
counsel so that appropriate actions may be taken.
[COMPANY may add additional guidelines as appropriate with respect to the
use of COMPANY-created materials]

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E. [Companys]Copyright Compliance Procedures

This section should provide instructions for the appropriate way to

obtain permission to use copyrighted content
This section should provide information about the rights conveyed
under CCCs annual copyright license, multinational license, digital
rights amendments and pay-per-use service and provide guidance and
information on any systems in place to assist appropriate content use,
such as Rightsphere and Rightslink
This section should include instructions and steps for the employee to
take in the event of suspected infringement and outline the resources
available through your Corporate Librarians office

How to Obtain Copyright Permission

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Fact Finding Questions

Once you have identified the materials you want to use, ask yourself the
following questions: Is the work the type of work protected by copyright? If so,
are you using the work in a manner that implicates the exclusive rights of the
copyright holder? Is it likely that the work is still protected? If the answer is
YES to these questions, then you must locate the copyright holder. Is the
name of the copyright owner on the materials? Does Copyright Clearance
Center represent that work? Locating the copyright holder may take some
investigative and creative work. Consult with the Copyright Officer to see if
she or he can offer any guidance or point you in the direction of someone
within the company who can. The U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of
Congress (www.loc.gov) may be of assistance in locating a copyright owner.
Requesting Permission
Permission to use copyright-protected materials should be obtained prior to
using those materials. It is best to obtain permission in writing, which may be
by e-mail, and to ensure that the Copyright Officer has a copy of each
permission form or letter. The time needed to obtain permission may vary.
When possible, it is recommended to start the permission procedure well in
advance of the time that you wish to use the materials. If you need fast
turnaround on a permission request, let the copyright owner know this and
he/she may get back to you faster. The copyright owner, his/her
representative and/or the licensing intermediary that represents the kind of
permission you are seeking, will require certain specific information in order
to provide you with that permission. Some organizations prepare a standard
request form for all of their employees to use.
Each permission request should include the following information:
Title of the material
Creator/author of the material
Description of material
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ISBN or ISSN, if applicable (standard numbers used on most published text

material)
Date of publication, if applicable
Purpose for which you wish to reproduce the item (research, commercial,
educational, etc.)
How the material is to be reproduced (e.g., photocopied, digitized)
Where the reproduced material will appear (including internal vs. external
use) and for how long
Permission Procedures
If [COMPANY] holds an Annual Copyright License from Copyright Clearance
Center:

Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 978-750-8400 Fax 978-646-8600 copyright.com

[COMPANY] holds an Annual Copyright License from Copyright Clearance

Center (CCC). The license enables employees of [COMPANY] in the United
States to lawfully reproduce and distribute content in CCCs repertory, in print
or electronic format, within the company. Under the license, [COMPANY]
employees can photocopy excerpts from newspapers, magazines, journals
and other copyright-protected works licensed by Copyright Clearance Center,
as often as needed. Employees can also e-mail articles of interest to other
employees, share articles by
posting them on our company intranet sites, and scan content when a digital
original is not available. Please note that the license is not intended to replace
subscriptions or eliminate the
need to purchase content that is used on a regular basis at [COMPANY]. The
Annual Copyright License enables us to share printed copies (but not electronic
copies) of materials with external colleagues on an occasional basis. To search
the online catalog and verify coverage under [Companys] license with CCC, go
to www.copyright.com and click on Find Title.
If [COMPANY] holds a Multinational Annual Copyright License from Copyright
Clearance Center:
[COMPANY] also holds a Multinational Annual Copyright License from Copyright
Clearance Center. The licenses enable [COMPANY] employees located outside
the United States to lawfully reproduce and distribute content within the
company, just like [COMPANY]s U.S.-based employees. The multinational
licenses apply to [COMPANY] employees based in more than 160 countries
worldwide and pertain to English-language works from the U.S, Canada, United
Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, with some exceptions. For a current listing
of countries and exceptions, go to www.copyright.com/multnationalcoverage.
[COMPANY] may also work with Copyright Clearance Center to obtain
permission to reproduce and distribute copyright-protected text works in print
and digital formats for external use. To obtain permission to reproduce textbased works outside of [COMPANY] that are not covered by our annual license
or other prior agreements, employees should request permission online at
www.copyright.com or contact the Rights and Licensing Department of the
copyright holder.

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If [Company] does not work with Copyright Clearance Center, you must contact
the copyright holder directly. As mentioned, locating the copyright holder may
take some time, as well as some investigative and creative work.
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The Copyright Office at the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) may be of

assistance in locating a copyright owner. Questions regarding non-text works
and questions pertaining to specific procedures should be directed to [Name],
who serves as our Copyright Officer.
Handling Copyright Infringement
[Company] expects its employees to be responsible consumers of copyrightprotected materials. We also encourage employees to educate their peers on
copyright compliance. If any employee witnesses a potential copyright
infringement, please bring the matter to the attention of the individual as well
as to [Name], [Companys] Copyright Officer. Employees who illegally
reproduce copyright-protected works may be subject to disciplinary action up to
and including termination.
The [Company] copyright compliance policy has been most recently
updated on [date].

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