Course Materials Copyright Agreement

Curriculum Property Rights Policy

Purpose

To clarify intellectual property rights for curricular materials used in the David Geffen School of Medicine

Policy

  1. All educational materials posted or used for instructional purposes in the School of Medicine are for the purpose of personal study. The content of the material may be the intellectual property of the University or individual lecturers/tutors, depending in each case on circumstances and interpretation of law (for details refer to the University of California Copyright Policies). Students, staff and faculty, who were not the creators of the educational materials, shall acquire no intellectual property rights whatsoever to materials and are prohibited from posting these materials to an external website, broadcasting or supplying these materials to any other person for commercial gain or otherwise.
  2. With respect to reproduction and copying of educational materials, it is the policy of the School to comply with the United States copyright law (Title 17 of the United States Code), Public Law 94-533, 90 Stat. 2541. Understanding this law, including the doctrine of ’Fair Use’ and its application and limitations in the business/educational setting by faculty members, staff, students, copy centers, and the University may help eliminate the risk of engaging in illegal photocopying. The doctrine of ’Fair Use’ permits the use of a copyrighted work without the copyright owner’s permission in limited situations. Section 107 of the Copyright Act.

Procedure

  1. Anyone becoming aware of a possible violation of this policy should report the matter for investigation.
  2. Potential violation by students should be reported to the Dean of Students; if confirmed, this could be considered a violation of the Code of Academic Conduct and could lead to a recommendation for dismissal by CASPP.
  3. Potential violations by staff or faculty, should be reported to the Curricular Affairs Office and the Student Affairs Office, respectively, for investigation and determination of next steps.

Policy Responsibility and References

  1. RESPONSIBILITY
    Curricular Affairs Office
    Student Affairs Office
  2. REFERENCES
  3. POLICY OWNER
    Vice Dean of Education
  4. REVIEWED BY
    Curricular Affairs Office
    Student Affairs Office
  5. REVIEWED DATE and REVIEW CYCLE 
    July 2025, 5-year review cycle