Copyright Symbol
My name is Beth Eck and I am the copyright administrator for PLS. Since I started with PLS in 2006, I have strived to become the resident copyright “expert” surrounding copyright legality and the use of third party material in PLS Courses. While the majority of my job occurs within the PLS face-to-face realm, I am also responsible for assisting the online course designers with their needs to reprint or reuse third party material in PLS online courses.
Whether the online design team is looking to reproduce an article, a song, an illustration, a photo, a book passage, a movie scene, an internet article, or a piece of clip art, etc., I am the one they contact to research the original copyright owner and seek permission to use the content. Just because material is on the Internet does not mean it is not copyrighted. Online material is just as susceptible to copyright infringement as print material!
While the copyright process sounds simple enough, there are often many obstacles along the way (as the designers can attest to!) Sometimes determining the original copyright owner of a work requires a great deal of research. Sometimes the copyright owner is never found, and using the material is a risk. Sometimes the author is the copyright owner, sometimes not. In addition, there are times when the online designers would like to use material from our face-to-face manuals in an online course. When this happens, PLS must re-apply for permission since we are using it in an entirely different medium (electronic vs. print). Each and every time a piece of copyrighted material is used in a different form (print, online, etc.), a new permission is required.
In the world of copyright, there is never a dull moment. For any of your copyright needs or questions, you can always feel free to email Beth at beck@plsweb.com.
