Increasingly portable tablet devices and their associated ‘apps’ are being used in the classroom.  The Smartcopying website has been recently updated with information about the legalities of using ‘apps’ in schools.

‘Apps’ are software that run on a mobile device, such as a smart phone, or an iPod or iPad, or other tablet device. Many of these apps are designed specifically for use by teachers and students.

Like other software ‘apps’ are licensed to one or more users on terms determined by the developer.  By downloading and installing an ‘app’ the user agrees to those terms – they become a contract between the developer and the user.  Consequently users will need to comply with those terms which commonly only allow individual use of a particular ‘app’.  If all the students in a class need to use an ‘app’ this will generally require a copy to be purchased for each student, either by the school or the students themselves.

The Smartcopying website at: www.smartcopying.edu.au - is the authoritative guide to copyright issues for Australian schools and TAFEs.  For more information on the use of ‘apps’ you can view their information sheet here: http://www.smartcopying.edu.au/scw/go/pid/1059.