and Williams ’ intellectual property must not be used for any purpose unrelated to Williams ’ business without prior authorization from the appropriate manager .
In addition to protecting the intellectual property of Williams , we will also afford this same respect to the intellectual property of others . We may not use or reproduce copyright materials owned by others without a valid license or prior permission by the copyright owner . A copyrighted material does not need to be registered and does not need to carry a copyright symbol © to be considered protected . Copyrighted works include , but are not limited to : images , music , articles , video , training materials , manuals , documentation , software programs , and websites , whether in printed or digital formats .
To avoid violations of copyright law , we must ensure appropriate authorization prior to using or reproducing any materials , and all software must be properly licensed , registered and authorized for use on Williams ’ computers . When in doubt as to whether the desired use of copyright materials is authorized , we should err on the side of caution and not use the materials .
Our ideas , concepts and other information we produce are important assets to Williams . This “ intellectual property ” is central in developing new products and attracting new business opportunities .
If a supplier inadvertently leaves a document in my office that is related to a competitor ’ s product , can I keep or make a copy of the document and share it with others to benefit Williams ?
No . The document may be confidential and cannot be disclosed without proper authorization . Reviewing it would violate our policy and may lead to a lawsuit . Once such a document is discovered , it should be brought to the attention of your supervisor and the Legal department .
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