When you receive a notice of a copyright infringement, what is
the best way to handle it? You can ask the staff member that posted it to take it down but as you may have already learned, if something is Googled, it may still have that connection to the infringement.
If someone complains about an unauthorized use, investigate the claim quickly and seek evidence of copyright ownership and validity from the complaining person. Draft up a letter of response to the infringement claim. Include in the letter the date that you received the claim from them and copy and paste their claim to copyright in your letter. Let them know you are investigating the claim and pending resolution of the dispute you have removed all copies from your site. Make sure to ask them for evidence of their copyright ownership so that you can resolve the matter quickly. There are several examples of responses to infringement claims out there you may adapt and use in response to a claim of infringement by your website. Simply Google Sample Response to Infringement Claim to get those response templates.
How To Play It Safe?
1. Get royalty-free images from reputable sources.
If you are a SchoolPointe customer we offer over 1,500 clip art images to choose from in your CMS editor. Click on the photo icon and click the gallery tab to access those.
2. Get permission
Always seek written permission, even if the material comes from a friend or relative. If it's to friends and relatives, an informal release can be used. It should state that they are the owner of the rights to the material you are using and that they authorize you to display it on your website.
3. Take your own photos
Now a days you don't even need an expensive camera to take your own photos; many smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras are capable of taking photographs that are high enough resolution for use on websites and blogs. Plus, this adds the additional bonus that you can be sure that your photos are unique.
As the internet traffic to your website increases and your school website becomes more popular, so does the likelihood of being caught for unauthorized uses. By following the above steps and avoiding unauthorized uses from the start you will avoid potential aggravation and financial loss for your district.
