POLICY NUMBER:
300.04
ADOPTED:
9.16.2025
Board Policy
- The Board of Education of Canyons School District is committed to respecting the rights of copyright owners and adhering to all federal (Title 17, U.S. Code) and state copyright laws, applicable licensing agreements, and statutory exceptions for educational use. The Board does not sanction or condone illegal duplication in any form, including the use of illegally duplicated materials or the improper use of commercially duplicated materials.
- As an educational institution, the District uses a variety of copyrighted works in the classroom to promote learning, discovery, and engagement.
- All District students, staff, and members are expected to comply with provisions of copyright law and are responsible for making a good-faith determination as to whether an intended use of intellectual property is permissible.
- When permission to use copyrighted material is required, permission must be obtained before the use of the copyrighted materials.
- The Board authorizes the Superintendent and District Administration to establish and maintain clear administrative regulations to ensure legal and ethical use of copyrighted materials across all instructional and operational contexts. These regulations and accompanying exhibits shall be reviewed as needed to reflect changes in the law, technology, and instructional practices.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
300.04-1
APPROVED:
9.16.2025
Administration Responsibilities - 300.04-1 (General Responsibilities)
- The Superintendent or designee will provide copyright training through a District Copyright Team for all licensed personnel concerning the district’s copyright policy, fair use, licensing obligations, and relevant exceptions.
- The District Copyright Support Team may include, but is not limited to: Educational technology specialists, District Library Media Specialist, Arts Specialists, IT, and Legal Services as needed.
- The District Copyright Support Team may provide case-by-case guidance and respond to questions.
- The District administration will provide access to reference materials (e.g., policy exhibits) to train staff and/or students.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
300.04-2
APPROVED:
9.16.2025
Employees and Students - 300.04-2
- CSD employees and students are to adhere to all provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act, and other relevant federal legislation (i.e., the TEACH Act), and guidelines related to the duplication, retention, and use of copyrighted materials.
- District Administrators and licensed personnel will be required to complete an online training on this subject on an annual basis (e.g., an electronic module).
- Licensed personnel have the responsibility to verify that materials used in instruction or shared with students are:
- Legally obtained and properly licensed, or
- Used under a statutory exception, such as:
- The Classroom Use Exception (17 U.S.C. § 110(1)) for face-to-face teaching in nonprofit educational institutions;
- The TEACH Act (17 U.S.C. § 110(2)) for distance learning environments, when all conditions are met; or
- The Fair Use Doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 107), when a four-factor analysis supports use.
- Licensed personnel have the responsibility for instructing students on the legal and ethical use of copyrighted materials in academic and creative work.
- Copying, file-sharing, or distributing copyrighted works without authorization is prohibited.
- Students are required to cite sources when using copyrighted material in assignments, presentations, and projects. Students are encouraged to use public domain, royalty-free, and openly licensed materials.
- Unlawful copies of copyrighted materials may not be produced on district-owned equipment.
- Unlawful copies of copyrighted material may not be used with district-owned equipment, within district facilities, or at district-sponsored functions.
- CSD employees are responsible for following all laws, policies, and guidelines, and for obtaining copyright information and guidance from the school administrator and/or designee. Employees who make copies and/or use copyrighted materials in their jobs are expected to be familiar with published provisions regarding fair use and public display. They are further expected to be able to provide their supervisor, upon request, the justification for the use of copyrighted materials.
- Employees who use copyrighted materials that do not fall within the fair use or public display guidelines must obtain permission from the copyright holder to reproduce it for educational purposes.
- Copies of site licenses, network licenses, and other permissions to copy computer software will be maintained by the district IT department.
- The legal and insurance protection of the district will not be extended to employees who intentionally or unlawfully copy and use copyrighted materials.
- All copies of material must include a copyright notice.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
300.04-3
APPROVED:
9.16.2025
Administrative Regulations - 300.04-3 (Fair Use Guidelines - General Exception)
- Fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107) is determined on a case-by-case basis by evaluating the following factors:
- The purpose and character of the use, whether it is for a nonprofit educational purpose.
- Consider the nature of the work
- The more creative and less factual a work, the more it is protected by copyright law. For creative works, generally only small portions should be copied unless permission has been acquired, whereas greater portions of purely factual items may be copied under fair use.
- The amount and substantiality of the portion used of the whole work.
- Copy only a limited portion of the work. Generally, fair use does not allow whole works to be copied, and the portion of the work being copied should be appropriate to the need
- The potential effect on the market for the original work.
- Fair use guidelines strongly advise obtaining permission from copyright owners whenever possible. Fair use applies only to teacher or student-created items for instructional or educational purposes. For fair use to apply, the copied work must be used for instructional purposes and not for personal use.
- Fair use guidelines strongly advise obtaining permission from copyright owners whenever possible. Fair use applies only to teacher or student-created items for instructional or educational purposes. For fair use to apply, the copied work must be used for instructional purposes and not for personal use.
Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Fair Use Guidelines
Exhibit 2: Fair Use Checklist
Exhibit 3: Licensed Personnel Copyright Decision Tree
Exhibit 4: Statutory Exceptions Explanations
References
Forms
None
Document History
Revised – 9.16.2025. Policy 300.04 – Copyright was udpated to clarify responsibilities for school administration and licensed personnel to comply with copyright law. District and school personnel are responsible to make a good-faith determination as to whether an intended use of intellectual property is permissible, and to assist students in their compliance of copyright in assignments, presentations, and projects.
To assist Canyons School District personnel with updated Fair Use Guidelines and Checklist, and decision-making tools for addressing copyright questions, Exhibits are added as part of the policy: Exhibit-1-Fair Use Guidelines; Exhibit -2-Fair Use Checklist; Exhibit-3-Licensed Personnel Copy Decision Tree; Exhibit-4-Statutory Exceptions Exemptions
Adopted – 8.18.2015.
This online presentation is an electronic representation of the Canyons School District’s currently adopted policy manual. It does not reflect updating activities in progress. The official, authoritative manual is available for inspection in the office of the Superintendent located at 9361 South 300 East Sandy, UT 84070.
