Be sure to involve your university attorneys in this one. They are
the ones who might have to fight any lawsuits and they would
appreciate being involved from the beginning.
If I were to do this (and I think it is a wonderful idea), I would
have the students sign a release form for BOTH any text they write
and any photos they take. Make sure it is a release not just for
print publication but also for electronic publication including the
internet. The university attorneys can supply you with the release
form.
There is a certain amount of risk involved because the students may
not give you original text but something that they lift from a book
or the internet. Later, when you publish it, you would be infringing
on copyright, completely unaware that you were doing so. I think if
you talk to the students about these risks, they will be careful to
protect you (and themselves). Of course, I find it hard to believe
that students at Bellarmine would participate in any immoral
behavior! I'm sure they wouldn't!
Good luck!
Dave Kramer
>Does anyone happen to know the laws dealing with ownership rights on the
>products of college students??? Who actually owns the things that
>college students do as requirements for a course ? ....the student or
>the faculty member?
>>The reason I ask is that I am thinking of having students help me write
>a book (self-published on compact disc) called "The Plants of
>Louisville, Kentucky". It would be a photo-identification book
>specifically dealing with the native and horticultural plants of this region.
>>My idea is that in a few years the book might be complete enough that I
>could publish it and then sell it at local bookstores. The book would
>help people figure out the names of common plants growing in
>Louisville neighborhoods.
>>My plan is to have students in my various Plant Biology courses over
>the years actually help me with this publication....it would be sort of
>a "service learning" type of an assignment for them.......
>>My question is: Can I sell a product (in this case a CD) that
>contains pictures and information collected by students in the course of
>meeting the academic requirements of my class????
>>I certainly don't want to do this if it is illegal (or unethical)...I
>have spoken to two attorneys already and they don't know the answer!!!
>>Thanks for any information you might have about this issue.....
>>Dave Robinson
>Biology Department
>Bellarmine University
>2001 Newburg Road
>Louisville, KY 40205
>>502-452-8197
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