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[Anonymous]

Our school purchased the rights to copy a section from a math textbook for a limited number of students.  I asked a representative from the publisher, who said that there is no third-party material contained within for which I would have to request further permission.  However, there are some graphs, arrows, formulas, etc. that may have been created by the publisher using some sort of software.  Could that pose some additional copyright issues for me?

[Oh, Crud]

Our school purchased the rights to copy a section from a math textbook for a limited number of students.  I asked a representative from the publisher, who said that there is no third-party material contained within for which I would have to request further permission.  However, there are some graphs, arrows, formulas, etc. that may have been created by the publisher using some sort of software.  Could that pose some additional copyright issues for me?

Teach, I've often thought your questions were in the nature of looking for and seeing problems where none exist, but in this case you may have gone waaay 'round the bend.   

You've got a couple things going for you here.  One is, you purchased rights from someone who should be able to back the rights sold (a textbook publisher).  I think you have a right to rely on their assurances.  Another is, it would be unlikely that a graphing software license [Edit: On software purchased by a bookmaker] said "you can make all the graphs you want with me, but don't you dare print and sell any graphs you make with me".  Finally, even if the software did come with such a shrinkwrap license limitation, YOU didn't make/sell the graphs.  You're the innocent here.  So go back to the first point, which is you have a right to rely on your presumption that the publisher is selling you exactly what it purports to sell - your limited right to copy.