Getting off topic, but…
Correct. Our standard answer was, “We can’t copy it for you, but you may use the self-serve copier.”
Some copyrighted educational material states that it’s okay to be copied for educational use. We don’t ask for a teacher’s ID and take it as for teacher’s use. Even then, anything from companies like Disney, who is sue happy, is always a no go unless the teacher had a release, which I’ve never seen.
If there’s a copyright or trademark anywhere on the document and we see it, we stop and ask if the person has a signed release. I’ve had customers ask if they didn’t copy the page with page with the notice it would be okay. Nope. Once we see it, we’re required to stop. I’ve had to stop my co-workers that would try to do it, but if I saw or heard the conversation, I’d have to stop the process.I would however point to the self-serve copiers and say, “I can’t stop you if you use those and do it yourself.”
I’ve had customers tell me, “Well, the other worker did it for me before.”. Either they lied or my co-workers lied to me because no one ever admitted to copying protected materials without a release.
BTW, I was just a Desktop Publisher, not a supervisor or manager, but was held responsible above my co-workers, except the other Desktop Publisher whether a supervisor or manager was there or no.
All photos and drawings other than obvious homemade ones are considered copyright protected and we required signed permission to copy them or use them for things like business cards or brochures.
If someone asked me to print a blank Monopoly board or card layout, I would do it as it’s generic enough. However, if there was any text, even your own anywhere, I wouldn’t.
We didn’t use it when I was working at OfficeMax, but Kinkos has a form that you need to fill out for any copy job. I never bothered to thoroughly read it since I knew the rules long before I worked at Officemax, but I’m sure there’s a clause in the form that asks if the item to be copied is copyright protected.