Being smart about copyright requires a fresh look at how your school is using content.  Not only should staff know where to go for information on copyright, but ideally each school should also implement policies in relation to the use of material on school content repositories.  Smart Copying initiatives, including the ‘National Education Access Licence for Schools’ (NEALS) are designed to reduce the cost of copying within schools.

There are two types of statutory licences – the ‘Statutory Text and Artistic Works Licence’ and the ‘Statutory Broadcast Licence’.  Schools relying on these licences should be aware of the cost implications and the requirements of meeting their statutory obligations.

If a school relies on the statutory licences to upload content to a school repository, it should, in order to manage its costs:

• Link to material where possible
• Limit access to persons whom through direct involvement in the educational process requires access to the copy – in other words, limit access to one class and educators, not the whole school
• Remove or archive material as soon as it is no longer required for the purposes of tuition or homework.

To find out more about the implications of using digital content repositories under statutory licences, please visit www.smartcopying.edu.au/scw/go/pid/1020