Copyright and Fair Use Resources

To avoid infringing on the rights of authors and publishers, it is important for students, faculty and staff to be aware of and abide by the Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code.

The Seminole State Library has developed the guide below to assist the academic community and lead you to relevant resources.

The views and opinions expressed in these pages are strictly those of the page authors. Any comments on the content of these pages should be directed to the author/contact listed at the bottom of the page. The page author is responsible for adhering to all College rules, policies and guidelines, and for abiding by all laws and regulations related to telecommunications and the publishing of public information.

Policy/Law

• Seminole State Policies: Brief summary
  • Copyright Policy for Materials Developed (Policy 1.090)
  • Copyright Law Compliance (Policy 1.095)
• Copyright Law of the United States of America: Laws related to copyright that are contained in Title 17 of the United States Code.
• Current Legislation: Check the status of current federal copyright legislation.
  • Copyright Legislation: Check the status of current congressional copyright legislation and set up an RSS feed. Includes archival access by congressional session through the 105th Congress.
  • Library of Congress (THOMAS): Extensive online Library of Congress guide to federal legislation, government resources and more.
• Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA): Summary provided by the U.S. Copyright Office. This act has five titles; Title IV is the most relevant for libraries and educators.
• Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH)
• Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act: Extended copyright terms.
• General Law and Policy
  • U.S. Copyright Office (Law and Policy): Detailed page with links to information about copyright law, federal register notices, regulations, current legislation, reports and studies, congressional testimony, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, fair use and more.
• International 
  • Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
  • World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty
  • WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)
  • Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite
  • Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms

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Guidelines

• General Guidelines
  • Fair Use: Basic summary provided by the U.S. Copyright Office.
  • Copyright Basics: Excellent overview of copyright prepared by the U.S. Copyright Office; includes definition, what is covered, duration of protection, how to apply for copyright protection and more.
  • Copyright Basics for Educators
  • Copyright and Fair Use: Stanford University's detailed guide on copyright; sections include copyright frequently asked questions, fair use, public domain, introduction to the permissions process (website, academic and educational permissions), releases and copyright research.
  • Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials: Concise guide prepared by the University of Texas System for its faculty, students and staff; includes discussion of fair use, personal liability, first steps, rules of thumb for specific uses of copyrighted materials, the four factor test and permissions.
  • Crash Course in Copyright Law: Developed by the University of Texas System for its faculty; presents extensive information on copyright. Also called the Copyright Crash Course Tutorial.
  • When U.S. Works Pass into the Public Domain: Prepared by Laura N. Gasaway, director of the Law Library and professor of law at the University of North Carolina. Reflects duration of copyright as provided by the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.
• Specific Guidelines
  • TEACH Act Toolkit: North Carolina State University's website; provides implementation checklists, background on the act and access to tutorials.
  • Educational Fair Use Guidelines for Distance Learning (CONFU): Part of the University of Texas Copyright Crash Course; offers guidelines for the performance and display of audio-visual and other copyrighted works developed during the Conference on Fair Use (CONFU).
  • Fair Use Rules of Thumb: University of Texas System's suggested rules of use for course packs, distance learning, image archives, multimedia works, music, research copies, and reserves by their students, faculty and staff.
  • Copyright Crash Course: The TEACH Act Finally Becomes Law
  • Fair Use Guidelines for Electronic Reserves: Part of the University of Texas Copyright Crash Course; offers proposed guidelines for electronic reserve systems that were developed at the CONFU but not adopted.
  • Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia: Part of the University of Texas Copyright Crash Course; provides guidelines for a wide range of multimedia content developed during the CONFU.
  • Fair Use Guidelines for Reserve Rooms: Part of the University of Texas Copyright Crash Course; offers guidelines for reserve materials based on Fair Use.

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Permissions/Forms

• Copyright Management: Current issues and resources from the Center of Intellectual Property at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). Offers website permission guidelines, agencies involved with licensing and articles discussing the issues. Print references are also included.
• Sample letter for obtaining permission for materials to be used for educational purposes (Word format)

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Intellectual Property

• Center for Intellectual Property, University of Maryland University College (UMUC): Contains a wealth of information on programming research and resources for copyright matters. Includes resource links such as the Virtual Academic Integrity Lab (VAIL).
• International Copyright Relations of the United States: U.S. Copyright document that summarizes relationships with other countries and treaties.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): Specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1967 to promote international intellectual property rights.
• Search Copyright Records: U.S. Copyright Office website for finding copyrighted materials. Includes an online search engine for records documented since Jan. 1, 1998.

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Resources/Tutorials

• Associations/Organizations
  • American Library Association: The world's largest and oldest library association.
  • Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL): Professional association for academic libraries and other interested individuals. The association is dedicated to enhancing the ability of academic libraries and information professionals to serve the information needs of the higher education community. It is also dedicated to improving learning, teaching and research.
  • Association of Research Libraries (ARL)
  • Copyright Clearance Center: Organization that provides licensing and permission services for the use of copyrighted material.

• Resources
  • Copyright Office: Website for the U.S. Library of Congress, whose stated mission is to "promote creativity by administering and sustaining an effective national copyright system." The site serves as an authoritative and comprehensive resource for all matters related to copyright and intellectual property. It includes history, laws, policies, publications, forms, information circulars, fact sheets and more.
  • American Library Association Copyright website
  • Copyright Resources on the Web: Sites to Keep You Current: Informative article by David Hodgins that appeared in C&RL News, March 2007, Vol. 68, No. 3. Contains evaluated links to a wide range of copyright issues.
  • Know Your Rights: An Association of Research Libraries (ARL) educational initiative designed for librarians. Contains relevant information for all academic stakeholders, including a brochure for faculty and teaching assistants called "Know Your Copy Rights - What You Can Do."
  • Copyright, Fair Use, and the Education Dilemma: The University of Central Florida's guide to copyright.

• Tutorials/Quizzes
  • Copyright Crash Course Tutorial: Developed by the University of Texas System for its faculty; presents extensive information on copyright. It is also called the Crash Course in Copyright Law.
  • Copyright Quiz: Provided by the University of Texas System; consists of a 12-question quiz related to the content of the Copyright Crash Course Tutorial.
  • Using the Four Factor of Use Test: Developed by the University of Texas System for fair use of materials. "Rules of Thumb" or CONFU guidelines do not apply.
  • Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright: Tutorial designed for students (teens) and teachers.

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Plagiarism

The Seminole State Library is revising its Web pages on plagiarism. Please use the links below to access alternate resources. Thank you.

• Plagiarism: A current issue and resource website from the Center for Intellectual Property, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) that focuses on issues like detection and prevention. Includes Web and print resources.
• Virtual Academic Integrity Laboratory (VAIL): An online academic integrity resource for students and faculty that was developed by the Center for Intellectual Property and Copyright in the Digital Environment, University of Maryland University College (UMUC).

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Frequently Asked Questions

• U.S. Copyright Office: Frequently Asked Questions on Copyright: Extensive list of questions covering all aspects of copyright, including ownership, registration, permissions, forms and services of the Copyright Office.

See the Resources/Tutorials section for additional information.

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Contact

If you need further assistance or have specific questions about copyright or intellectual property issues, please e-mail Patricia DeSalvo, dean of Libraries and Learning Technology, or call her at 407.708.2136. You may also e-mail Linda Sutton, associate director of libraries, or call her at 407.708.2114.

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