PURPOSE

The Student Media has the obligation to protect the copyright of articles, designs, audio material, photographs and other material, including Web sites and audio/visual material and ads created under its auspices. Without this unique material, students and other members of our target audience would have no need to come to the media for information. As per the copyright law of the United States, materials are copyrighted when created. Works created under the auspices of the Student Media are immediately copyrighted by the NCSU Student Media.

Nothing in this policy, however, should preclude a student from displaying his or her work as part of a portfolio or in a contest assuming that all work is approriately credited as work created for the NCSU Student Media.

It is a violation of state law to use state-owned equipment for personal gain.

POLICY

    1. Any work ordered by the editor or his designee directly or indirectly shall be considered or work commissioned for the Student Media within the individual's scope of employemnt. This includes
      • Actively taking an assignment from an editor, writer, reporter or other staff member for the Student Media;
      • Verbally (or otherwise) agreeing to take an assignment for the Student Media; or
      • Creating material while representing Student Media by using Student Media equipment, obtaining a press credential using the name of a N.C. State Student Media or otherwise identifying yourself as a member of the Student Media.
    2. The Student Media has has first right to all photographs, programming, art work, and stories produced as part of the work-for-hire arrangement and within the individual's scope of employment. Such works will not be distributed outside the Student Media in any form, including by e-mail, e-mail distribution list, Web site, bulletin board or printed publication.
    3. Students working for Student Media may use works created as part of their employment for portfolio or contest purposes if all works are represented as created as part of the individual's work for the NCSU Student Media.
      • When entering contests, the copyright must remain with the NCSU Student Media and shall not be assigned to the contest sponsor.
    4. The Student Media will only make available for resale works that have been published unless other contractual arrangements have been made in advance.
    5. Eighteen months after the work was created, so as not to conflict with the content in current media, the Student Media grants the student who created the work the right to publish or distribute the works created in other venues without restriction provided appropriate credit is given indicating that the work was created for the NC State Student Media, "Photo by Austin Dowd, ©2006 NC State Student Media," for example.

ACCEPTANCE

To indicate their awareness of the Student Media policy, students will be required to sign a contract that indicates their awareness. Sample wording in such a contract appears below.

Student Media equipment
Student Media equipment is state property. Student Media equipment may NOT be used for personal assignments or assignments for other entities. The pool equipment has to be shared by all of the staff photographers. You are responsible for it when you are using it, including, potentially, the costs of any damages beyond any normal wear and tear.

Ownership of work
In accordance with North Carolina State University Student Media policy, Student Media owns all images taken on assignment for the Student Media. This does NOT prevent a student photographer from taking pictures on their own, using their own equipment, for profit. It does NOT prevent a student photographer from publishing photos they have taken on their own Web site for portfolio purposes or otherwise displaying them for portfolio purposes. It DOES prevent a photographer from releasing any photos taken while on assignment from Student Media – as indicated above – before they are published in the Student Media. The Student Media retains the rights to publish in any form photographs taken while on assignment or published in a student media.

I agree to abide by NCSU Student Media accepted policy and practice in regards to photography, including taking of assignments, filing of pictures and checking out equipment. I understand that violation of accepted practice, as indicated on this form, or violation of policy may result in not being paid for the assignment or other disciplinary action up to and including termination. I also understand that I will not get paid for any photo assignment until that assignment is completed as defined in the attached literature.

HISTORY

Previous contracts have taken all rights away from the student who created the work. For example, a clause in the contract signed by Jason Ivester in 1999 said, "All rights, titles, licenses, etc. will belong to Agromeck." This would have prevented the author from using the work in any form or fashion. In 2002, Tim Lytvinenko signed a similar contract that said, "Any work that I do for Agromeck will belong solely to Agromeck. All rights, titles, licenses, etc. will belong to Agromeck." The policy written above gives the NCSU Student Media first rights of refusal on all works created as an employee of Student Media. However, it also grants the student the right to use the story, design, photo or other creation as part of a portfolio or contest entry. And after 18 months, the student creator can use the work as he or she sees fit as long as appropriate credits are given.

Sample "contracts" from 1999 and 2002.

Sample from 2000. CLICK HERE

Sample from 2002. CLICK HERE

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N.C. State Student Media • 321 Witherspoon, CB 7318 • Raleigh, NC 27695
919/515-1685 • fax: 919/513-2030