If a work is published before 1978, the copyright on it is good for 28 years and renewable for another 28. After the copyright on a work expires, the work is in the public domain, which means it may be freely used unless the material is taken directly from a more recent copyrighted work. The church office is a danger zone for copyright violations. If not, you could be a copyright offender. Software applications are also problematic.
Many manufacturers offer single-use or multiuse licenses at different prices.
Churches cannot buy one copy of software with a single-use license and cost, then install the software at 15 stations. Internet technology has created new copyright perils. As a result, the U.S. Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 1998. Two aspects of that law are relevant to churches. If a church worker copies a Web site onto her hard drive, then uploads the material to the church's Web site, changing only the text, she is violating copyright law.