Content created or collected in the tasks of language development and translation is considered Intellectual Property (IP). IP includes: word data, fonts, pictures, music and sound recordings, artistic and photographic works, stories, dramatic presentations, and more. All these expressions are protected from misuse by international IP laws. When any publication is created and made available to the public, the distributor must obtain permission(s), acknowledge the owner(s) and abide by all restrictions placed upon the content being shared or published. The goal is to preserve the benefits of works created by staff for the use of others.
Copyright is a form of legal IP protection given to the creators or authors of original works providing exclusive control of the work’s reproduction, distribution, adaptation, display and dramatic performance for an extended period of time. This protection is provided at the moment a work is created whether it has been made public or not and is recognized in nearly every nation. If the creator or author is paid, these rights typically belong to the employing organization as Work-Made-for Hire. Small quotes used in reviews or as classroom examples are generally permitted without permission under Fair Use.
It is very important to respect and protect the intellectual property rights of the language communities in which we work.
You must track where you obtain content and get written or recorded permission to use other's works before publishing them. Always ask and document how the creator of the work desires to be acknowledged in each kind of publication. Ask for and document the objections or agreements for ongoing use of their content in different media types such as the internet, videos, audio recordings, and in printed materials.
Be careful to not violate another's copyright. You must respect the IP rights of other authors, publishers and partner organizations who provide resources for language development and translation tasks. You must also respect the Moral Rights of the staff who create IP (e.g. the reputation of and right to be acknowledged).
Contact your administration if you have questions about IP rights and restrictions.