U-M Internet Publishing Policies, Guidelines, & Instructions

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University Policies Relevant to Internet Publishing


Existing University policies and state and federal laws are relevant to publishing or disseminating information via the Internet. Relevant university policies are listed below.

3.1 Proper Use

University policy governing the Proper Use of Information Resources, Information Technology, and Networks at the University of Michigan details the appropriate uses of institutional resources, including information, computing, and network resources. A related Guidelines for Implementing the Proper Use Policy outlines user responsibilities to ensure ethical, legal, and secure use of computing, information, and network resources.

3.2 Domain Name Service Standards

The University policy for Domain Name Service Standards outlines the authorized use of domain names for the Internet. This policy covers when units and individual services can and cannot use the umich.edu domain name or associate IP addresses with services. In general, all services that are provided by members of the University of Michigan community in-line with their official function as part of the mission of the institution, will be registered within the umich.edu domain name. All services that are provided by either members or non-members of the University of Michigan community but which are not in-line with their official functions as members of the community or as part of the mission of the institution will be registered outside of the umich.edu domain.

3.3 Commercial or Promotional Activity on the Network

The University policy on the Sale of Goods and Services to Non-University Entities (Standard Practice Guide 502.14) indicates these activities must be directly related to the mission of the University.

The University policy of Solicitations, Collections, and Donations (Standard Practice Guide 201.56) prohibits the distribution of literature or information which supports drives, campaigns, causes or organizations.

The University policy on Conflict of Interest (Standard Practice Guide 201.65-1) defines conditions under which faculty and staff use of official position and influence to further personal gain or that of families or associates is unacceptable behavior.

The Committee on the Use of the University Name, appointed by Interim President Homer A. Neal in January 1997, is examining a range of issues related to use of the University name, marks, and good will in commercial and non-commercial ventures. Results of the Committee's work will guide development of policies for handling issues of advertisement and endorsement in Web publishing.

The copying or re-transmission of copyrighted works in documents, document collections, or homepages without the expressed written permission of the copyright owner or the existence of fair use is prohibited. Additional information about copyright laws is available through the University Library copyright site. The guidelines for Ethical Use of Digital Media provide further clarification relevant to copyright and the use of audio visual and multimedia resources.

All original material fixed in a tangible medium (photos, electronic and printed text, music, broadcast performance) produced by units of the University is inherently copyrighted under the Berne Accords, which are part of U.S. law. The Regents are the legal owners of University faculty and staff products. To discourage copyright infringement, state the copyright symbol, year of production and name of the copyright holder. The suggested format is to use the copyright bug (©), or the word "copyright," followed by the year of publication and "the Regents of the University of Michigan."

According to the University's policy on intellectual property, faculty may retain independent ownership of scholarly works. Questions about issues of ownership of copyright can be directed to the University's Office of General Counsel or the Technology Management Office.

Written permission should be obtained before copying or reproducing written, visual, and sound products that contain any non-University copyright notice, unless fair use exists.

Please note that photos and videos are generally copyrighted whether they carry a copyright notice or not. This includes photos reproduced for computer transmission via the Internet and electronically reproduced documents. If you reproduce a photo or video that has been borrowed from another source, written permission from the copyright holder for the intended use is necessary. Further, permission from any identifiable person appearing therein is also recommended.

3.6 Copyrighted Software

Several institutional policies relate to the ethical and legal use of copyrighted software:

Management of Copyrighted Software (Standard Practice Guide 601.03-1, DECEMBER 2, 1993)

Ethical and Legal Use of Software: A Guide for Students, Faculty and Staff at the University of Michigan (ITD Document, Reference 1181).

3.7 Licensed Resources

Some information and software resources available through the UM network are licensed solely for use of the UM community. Redistribution of licensed resources to external communities is not permitted, unless specifically authorized in the license agreement.

3.8 University Symbols, Logos, Seals

University marks are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. University policy concerning the use of University seals, logos, trademarks, and wordmarks is available on the Identity Guidelines website.

3.9 Exposure to Offensive Materials

A proposed policy of the University describes the balance of freedom of expression and inadvertent or overt exposure to potentially offensive materials. The guidelines note that individuals should be allowed to choose what they wish to access for their own purposes and should not be unwittingly exposed to potentially offensive material by the deliberate and knowing acts of others.

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