Copyright police?

I have very strong feelings on copyright law and protecting the rights of authors and the publishers that print their work. As a writer myself, I would be remiss if I said it doesn't matter to me if people make unauthorized copies of my work, even for classroom use. But something one of my classmates mentioned really struck a chord with me.

He said that he doesn't want to be copyright police at his school, and I agree with him. I do not want to be the copyright police. I don't want teachers and students afraid to come into the library because of what I might tell them they are not allowed to do. The best way I can think to do this is to be proactive instead of reactive. That is, give them the information they need and can refer to, before they need it.

I might do this by compiling a packet for the beginning of the school year that outlines what leeways teachers and libraries are given with regards to copyright. Rather than giving them a list DON'Ts, I'd much rather give them a list of DOs.

It isn't in my personality to be confrontational and authoritarian; I don't want to lecture people on the rights of authors, though I will do everything in my power to uphold them. It quite honestly shocks me how little information and education teachers and administrators have on copyright law. Even when they do have some knowledge of it, they often disregard it, as if it is more of a guideline than actual law. Most people would not disregard other laws, but they deem it okay to break copyright laws. In my opinion, a law is a law for a reason. Copyright law protect more than just the artist, author, or publisher. They protect everyone that worked on the peice that you are copying or using unlawfully, from the craft service person providing food on a photoshoot, to the sound mixing person who worked on the album. Those people do not make millions and buy breaking copyright laws you might be taking money out of their pockets.

Like I said, I don't want to be copyright police, but I do need to come up with creative ways to be proactive about teaching copyright law if I don't want to be seen as the copier Nazi (a nickname I found out I have now).