Copyright Policy
A. Statement of General Principles.
B. Goal of the Copyright Compliance Policy.
Copyright laws are generally not straightforward and they have many gray areas. The goal of this policy is to provide employees of Star Business Consulting, LLC (whether on a permanent, temporary or contract basis) consultants, agents, clients and website visitors with a uniform approach to addressing complex copyright issues. Star Business Consulting, LLC 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC. Star Business Consulting, LLC can also assist you in obtaining advice from a lawyer if needed.
C. Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Copyrighted Materials.
No employee, client or website visitor of Star Business Consulting, LLC 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC must assume that most materials used are copyrighted until proven otherwise.
If an employee, a client or a website visitor 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, a client or a website visitor 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.
Star Business Consulting, LLC shall negotiate licenses with publishers and other copyright holders that allow employees, client or website visitors to use and share their materials. These licenses have restrictions and specific terms of use. As a result, it is critical that an employee, a client or a website visitor 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC copyright policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination and a fine of One Thousand (1,000.00) dollars will be applied to clients and website visitors.
D. Rights with Regard to Computer Systems and Software Used by Employees.
Star Business Consulting, LLC reserves the right to monitor employee computer systems (including desktop, lap top and handheld devices) and any content stored on an employee’s computer system.
Star Business Consulting, LLC 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC computers should be licensed by Star Business Consulting, LLC 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC are subject to periodic audit.
If an employee is issued a password to access information licensed by Star Business Consulting, LLC the employee is expected to take all reasonable measures to protect the security of the password and not to share the password with anyone.
E. Use of Company-Created Materials.
Whenever an employee, a client or a website visitor of Star Business Consulting, LLC 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 such a 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC, 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 Star Business Consulting, LLC as a matter of law, the contractor or consultant thereby assigns all of his/her/its rights in such works to Star Business Consulting, LLC. Please consult with the Copyright Officer or manager if you have any questions regarding the engagement of outside contractors or consultants.
When employees, clients and website visitors use company-created copyrighted materials, employees, clients and website visitors 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 employees, clients and website visitors become aware of any unauthorized use or distribution of company-created materials, employees, clients and website visitors should promptly notify the Copyright Officer or legal counsel so that appropriate actions may be taken.
Star Business Consulting, LLC may add additional guidelines as appropriate with respect to the use of Star Business Consulting, LLC - created materials.
F. Copyright Compliance Procedures.
Requesting Permission. Permission to use copyright-protected materials should be obtained prior to using those materials. Such permissions must be obtained in writing (including e-mail). The time needed to obtain permission may vary. When possible, it is recommended to start the permission procedure well in advance of the time from to the materials used. The copyright owner, his/her representative and/or the licensing intermediary that represents the kind of permission that is being sought, will require certain specific information in order to provide such permission. Each permission request should include the following information:
Title of the Material:
If Star Business Consulting, LLC 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.
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 Tatyana Frolova, who serves as our Copyright Officer.
* The Star Business Consulting, LLC copyright compliance policy has been most recently updated on February 4th, 2015
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