Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) values accountability and transparency at all levels including ensuring that student data privacy and security are a top priority. BVSD has taken action to ensure that all student data is handled securely and in compliance with the Colorado Student Transparency and Security Act. Through rigorous processes and high standards of compliance, our goal is to not only abide to state and federal law, but to provide students, parents, and our community with the resources and information needed to protect student privacy.
There are no black and white answers when it comes to Copyright and Fair Use. It is every educator's professional obligation to understand copyright law.
Every institution has a different amount of risk they are willing to take when it comes to copyright. You can never reduce your risk to zero.
Copyright Law has risk mitigation built in for libraries and public education institutions. If we make (and document) good faith efforts, then damages are remitted.
It's important to tie in how you apply Fair Use to the goals of your institution. You might be willing to assume more risk, for instance, if using that copyrighted material supports an institutional goal.
When a question of Copyright or Fair Use comes up, first do your research, then document why you made the choice you made. Your documentation could be as simple as a sticky note or a lesson plan.
Educate, don't police! Once you become the copyright police, you open yourself up to secondary liability. The better option is to educate and redirect.
Social media and other online companies have their own contracts and policies that you need to be aware of before you use them.
Violation of vendor contracts is a separate issue from copyright and fair use. A vendor contract is a legal document that you agree to abide by.
"The distinction between what is fair use and what is infringement in a particular case will not always be clear or easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission."