Copyright

Copyright governs the ability to copy, publish, broadcast, adapt  or perform sounds, words, or visual images.  The copyright holder has the right to receive compensation for their intellectual content and to control how, when, and under what circumstances the item can be used. Items covered by copyright include: 
 

What is Fair Use?

Fair Use gives educators a specific exemption to use copyrighted material in face-to-face teaching, research, and personal discussion. However, the exemption is not limitless and it is these limits which will effect how much of an item and how long an item can be used. In the library, copies of periodical articles, photocopied chapters from books, and off-air copies of television programs are items which can be placed on reserve in the library but may not remain beyond the end of the semester without copyright clearance.   The Copyright Clearance Center, http://www.copyright.com,  or  the library staff can help you to achieve copyright compliance.

    Periodical articles

Copies of periodical articles from journals to which the library does not currently subscribe are not allowed beyond one semester  on reserve in the library without copyright clearance.  Both EBSCO and Gale Infotrac, provide over 15,000 full text periodical titles.  Direct links to a particular article can legally be given to students.  For help setting up a link, please contact Laura Horgan.

 

    Commercially produced media

 

It is permissible to record a television program or musical composition and use this in your class or  place on reserve for a limited period of time.  For periods longer than a semester, copyright clearance should be obtained.   If a film or sound recording will be used by your class on an ongoing basis please let us know and we will make every attempt to purchase the item for our collections.

 

    Consumables (Workbooks)

 

The library may not accept workbooks on reserve at all.  Workbooks and other consumables by their very nature are published to be used by one and only one individual.  To accept these items on reserve would be a knowing violation of copyright law.

What is Public Domain?

Information that was made available to the general public without copyright and can be redistributed or those items that are not longer subject to copyright protections.  Items for the most part published prior to 1923 are not subject to copyright. 

How do I get Copyright Clearance?

Faculty can get permission to use materials directly from a publisher or contact the Copyright Clearance Center for more information.  The contact information for the center located in Danvers is: Copyright Clearance Center
222 Rosewood Drive
Danvers, MA 01923
USA

Phone: 978-750-8400
Fax: 978-646-8600
E-mail: info@copyright.com

 

What are some good websites about this topic?

Library staff suggest you look at the following websites and presentation by a UMass professor for additional information

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html

 http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/IntellectualProperty/cprtindx.htm

 

Updated: July 2008