It is the policy of Northern Essex Community College to acknowledge and abide by all applicable intellectual property laws, including but not limited federal copyright law, Title 17 of the U.S. Code as amended at http://www.copyright.gov/title17.³ The College expects that all individuals employed at the College, enrolled at the College, and/or using the facilities or resources of the College (“Covered Individuals”) shall do the same.

In addition to issuing, and educating the College community regarding, this policy, the College will, among other things, ensure that every photocopy machine and printer and other equipment capable of creating copies on campus shall include effective signage incorporating the following text:

Notice: The copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The person using this equipment is liable for any infringement.

The College has also designated an “Agent to Receive Notification of Claimed Copyright Infringement.” Anyone who believes that any faculty, staff, or student of the College has infringed on their rights as a copyright owner should contact the Chief Academic Officer, as the College’s Copyright Agent, with the following information:

• Complete name, mailing address, email address, phone and fax numbers;
• Information about the copyrighted material (URL, book title, etc.);
• The URL of the College site which has the infringing material; and
• Any other information supporting the claim.

With regard to Distance Learning, the College will apply measures to protect against unauthorized access (e.g. limiting transmission to students enrolled in a particular course) and requires that only lawfully acquired copies of copyrighted works are used.

³ Since its passage in 1976, the Copyright Law has been amended numerous times by, for example, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 1998 and the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (“TEACH Act”) in 2002.  These amendments outline the copyright requirements for digital content and online distance education addressed in this policy.  Additional information regarding these amendments can be found in the appendices to this policy.