Language Lab:  In 2005, I was writing an article for an international audience and I wanted to use an analogy about training wheels.  Because I was not certain that everyone would know what training wheels were, I wanted to use a picture.  I found a great one online at a sporting goods store.  I emailed and explained what I was doing and requested permission to use the picture.  I received a polite response:  Thanks for your recent message. As we have invested significant time, effort, and resources to create our Web experience, we consider these elements to be our assets and proprietary to our business. To that end, we would not grant permission for reprint except for personal use. I am sorry we are unable to accommodate your request, but we appreciate your checking in advance and wish you success with your article.  ~ Lora Flewelling, REI Public Affairs    I was griping to my family over dinner about it, and Jenna asked if I had tried looking in ClipArt.  Indeed, there was a picture that I could use!    -- Cindy Marston

Bernajean Porter and Jamie McKenzie:  In 2006, I was pulling together infomration that I wanted to share with the teachers.  I came across some good printed resources from both Bernajean Porter (who conducted a professional development day for us in August 2005) and Jamie MacKenzie, who many heard speak at Villa Duschene in October 2005.  I contacted them both and asked permission to scan the materials and make them available to our teachers.  Bernajean said yes; Jamie said that it was fine to distribute paper copies, but that he does not give permission to electronicall publish his work.  I hadn't thought of what I wanted to do as "publishing" because it would be on our network and a very limited audience.  Wanting to understand better, I contacted Jamie to ask why and he said: "When you share electronically, you are sharing my work without compensation with the rest of the world.   That work is available on my Web site.  When it appears elsewhere it cuts into visitors. I am generous about paper within bounds."   I do understand that it could potentially take visitors away from his web site, which could have cut in to his monetary rewards.  --  Cindy Marston

MS 8th Grade Field Trip:  Over Spring Break in 2007, a group of 8th grade students went on the trip to Washington D.C.  They stayed at a hotel that provided them a printed strip of paper that stated they were guests of the hotel and entitled to a free breakfast at the adjoining restaurant.  The strip of paper had the Principia logo on it.  While it was probably an innocent mistake, the hotel did not have permission to use the Principia logo.  -- Cindy Marston (via Anne Hedgepeth)