In an effort to discourage violation of copyright laws and to prevent illegal use of computer system, staff will follow the procedures listed below.

A. The proper use of computers will be taught through planned computer curriculum and computer-related instruction for students. Staff will address the ethical and practical problems caused by software piracy.

B. District employees are expected to maintain software and supporting manuals in a safe place. The material needs to be available for software and hardware audit.

C. District employees will be expected to adhere to the provisions of Public Law 96-517, Section 7(b) which amends Section 117 of Title 17 of the United States Code to allow for the making of a back-up copy of computer programs. This states that “…it is not an infringement of the owner of a copy of a computer program to make or authorize the making of a copy of adaptation of that computer program provided:

• that such a new copy of adaptation is created as an essential step in the utilization of the computer program in conjunction with the machine and that it is used in no other manner, or
• that such a new copy or adaptation is for archival purposes only and that all archival copies are destroyed in the event that continued possession of the computer program should cease to be rightful.”

D. When software is being used on a disk sharing system, efforts will be made to secure this software from copying.

E. Illegal copies of copyrighted programs may not be made or used on school equipment.

F. The superintendent or his/her designee is the only individual who may sign license agreements for software in the district. (Each school using the software should have a copy of the signed software duplication.)

G. No employee of the district will surreptitiously or illegally access any data base or electronic bulletin board.

H. No employee of the district will encourage or allow any student to surreptitiously or illegally duplicate computer software or illegally access any data base or electronic bulletin board.

I. The principal of each school site is responsible for establishing practices which will enforce this policy at the school level. A copyright warning notice may be placed on computer equipment.

DISTRICT POLICY ON SOFTWARE COPYING

Proprietary software packages
Are protected by copyright laws.
DO NOT COPY without authorization.

Highline School District 401
Adopted by the Superintendent: September 1991