Website Content Usage
DEC often receives requests to reproduce or incorporate work created by its employees or contractors, including work displayed on this website. Most of these requests support the department's mission by increasing public attention or exposure to DEC messages, and are readily granted.
Some uses of DEC work, however, could imply that the department sponsors or supports a non-affiliated entity. The web content usage policy is intended to allow most uses, while identifying and rejecting inappropriate requests.
DEC Web Content Usage Policy
DEC work may be reproduced or used by other entities in ways that are consistent with the department's mission and the purpose for which the work was originally created. Accordingly, it is the department's policy to:
- Encourage other entities to distribute and use DEC work for educational purposes
- Protect DEC's interest in the work of its employees and contractors from infringement
- Protect DEC work from misuse
- Protect DEC from being misrepresented by the implication of department support or sponsorship for projects or entities that use DEC work
- Keep work that was created with public funding available to the public without charge
- Discourage resale of work created with public funding
- Protect the public from misinformation
Any DEC division or region can grant a request for permission to use DEC work, in writing and in accordance with the provisions of this policy, as long as the division can determine that the department owns rights to the work requested. The DEC web usage policy includes a usage request form (PDF) that describes DEC's process for determining rights ownership and granting usage rights.
Copyright
Except for materials in the public domain, all of the content on the website of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is the property of DEC or its content suppliers and is protected by copyright laws. This includes text, graphics, logos, icons, images and software. The compilation of all content on this site is the exclusive property of DEC and is also protected by copyright laws. The content and software on this site may be used for educational purposes. Any other use, including the reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission, republication, display, or performance is prohibited
Service Mark
The DEC logo is a service mark of DEC. The DEC service mark may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not ours, or in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among customers, or in any manner that disparages or discredits DEC.
Use of Our Content
We encourage visitors to the DEC website to download and use any text or graphic not specifically noted as protected for educational purposes. However, we will regard use of DEC content for any purpose other than education without our explicit written permission as infringement of copyright. This site or any portion of this site may not be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, or used for any commercial purpose not expressly permitted by DEC.
