Part II - Electronic Media

The key points for libraries are to maintain responsible lending that does not allow for the possibility of simultaneous users of one program or product; not to sign any statements that one does not agree with; to use prudence in areas which are in dispute; and place copyright statements on all machines, programs, and any accompanying materials to alert patrons to copyright law and to reduce liability on the part of library staff. (Talab, R.S. Copyright and other legal considerations in patron-use software, Library Trends, vol. 40 #1, Summer 1991,page 95)

1. Copies of a computer program may be made or adapted in order to use the program on a specific machine.
2. A single copy of a program may be made for archival purposes.
3. Copies may not be made to run simultaneously with the original.
4. In the case of networks, or use of software on multiple machines, licenses for each copy installed will be acquired.
5. The software license applies and may be stricter than the copyright law. But the fair use provisions of the copyright law may still apply.
6. Downloading from a locally owned disk or from a remote site is covered by the same fair use principles that apply to photocopying. Staff and library users must be advised to look for copyright notices on remote databases before downloading any data.

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