WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? The Prince George's County (MD) Board of Education has found itself in the hot seat with a new proposal claiming copyright ownership over any materials created by its teachers and students. The district -- normally under fire for low test scores -- is not the first to make this move. Neighboring Montgomery County takes a stake in any created works that involved using a significant portion of time and resources within the school system. DC schools use a common copyright law for any intellectual property created by employees.
Where the PG county policy differs from these others is in its approach to works created outside of the school. The Washington Post reports that under the proposed policy, "work created for the school by employees during their own time and using their own materials is the school system's property." The move looks a lot like a revenue grab off would-be teacherpreneurs, though Board Chair Verjeana M. Jacobs says the rule will help schools keep tabs on homegrown iPad curriculum, adding that "'Counsel needs to restructure the language.'"
