Answered By: Kathryn Park Last Updated: Sep 03, 2019 Views: 100
Copyright and Fair Use go together. Briefly, copyright protects the rights of the creators of content, and fair use recognizes that there can sometimes be exceptions for educational purposes.
Copyright
Copyright laws protect authors, publishers, musicians, artists and others from having their work stolen or misused. Copying a song, a book or an image without permission is not legal. However, like many laws, there are gray areas, which brings us to fair use.
Fair Use
Fair use exceptions were designed with education in mind. Fair use says that as a researcher, you can copy sources for your own use when used for educational purposes--with limits.
Examples of Fair Use
- A single photocopy of part of a copyrighted work, such as an article from a journal, would probably be considered fair use.
- Copying a single chapter from a book would also probably be considered fair use.
Examples that are not Fair Use
- Copying all the assignments from a book recommended for purchase by the instructor.
- Making multiple copies of articles or book chapters for distribution to classmates.
- Copying material from workbooks would most likely not be considered fair use.
What about online resources?
You can copy full text articles from the library's databases for your own use. Copying them and distributing them to other people via email, blog or print probably would not be considered fair use. In EBSCO eBooks you can copy a limited number of pages from an eBook--the site limits what you can do.
And one more thing...
This is general information and does not constitute legal advice.
Links & Files
Was this helpful? 0 0
Comments (0)
Answers by Topic
- About the Library
- Textbook Checkout & Course Reserves
- Printing
- Books
- Library Lab
- COM
- Articles
- Databases
- Borrowing Library Items
- Citation/Style: MLA
- Microsoft Word
- COM: Bookstore
- Research
- Distance Ed
- Database: EBSCO
- Hot or Controversial Topics
- Citation/Style: APA
- eBooks
- Computers & Tech (Help)
- Fax/Scan
- Citation
- American Literature
- Home Access
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Literature
- Nursing
- Adobe
- COM: ID
- Internet
- Faculty
- Copiers
- Health & Medicine
- American History
- English
- GED
- Social Sciences
- Government & Law
- Study Guides, Tests & Testing
- Files & Drives
- Database: Literary Sources
- Psychology
- Scholarly/Peer Reviewed
- Study Rooms
- Wi-Fi
- Papers & Writing
- Database: OneSearch
- Database: EBSCO eBooks
- Database: Literary Reference Center
- Blackboard
- Database: Academic Search Complete
- Interlibrary loan (ILL)
- Speech
- Research Tutorial
- COM: WebAdvisor
- Database: CINAHL
- Science
- Media
- British Literature
- History
- Games & Puzzles
- Database: Opposing Viewpoints
- World History
- Education
- Guides
- Adult Education
- Careers
- Database: Gale eBooks
- Library Fees
- Database: Issues & Controversies
- Biology
- Humanities
- Microsoft Excel
- Business
- Reference
- Microsoft Office 365
- Literary Criticism
- Industrial
- Computers & Tech (Research)
- Philosophy
- Database: ProQuest
- Database: Literature & Language
- World Literature
- Primary Sources
- Database: Films on Demand
- Database: Hoopla
- Microsoft Office
- MAC
- Math
- YouTube
- Texas
- Journals
- Communication
- Crtitcal Thinking & Information Literacy
- Ethics
- Local
- Database: Facts on File
- CHS
- News
- Google Scholar
- Database: Gale
- Database: CQ Researcher
- Gender
- Religion
- African Americans
- Citation/Style: GSA
- Streaming Media
- Criminal Justice
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Mobile
- iOS, iTunes
- Database: America's News
- Coronavirus
- Geography & Travel
- COM History
- Drama
- Film
- Open Access
- Fine Arts
- COM: Course Evaluations
- Athletics & Sports
- Art
- Nutrition
- Poetry
- Citation/Style: Chicago
- Database: LearningExpress
- Music
- Economics & Finance
- Geology
- Environment
- Native Americans
- Database: Health Reference Center Academic
- Scan
- Database: Britannica
- Database: CREDO
- Welding
- Citation/Style: ACS
- Testing
- Plagiarism
- ESL
- Chemistry
- British History
- Hispanic
- Undead
- Citation/Style: Harvard
- Language
- Stephen King
- zoterbib
- Astronomy
- Yahoo!
- LGBT
- Library Spaces
- Advising and Student Support
- Copyright & Fair Use for Faculty
- Reading
- Photography
- Texas History
- Citation/Style: ASA
- Citation/Style: Turabian
- Copyright & Fair Use
- Media Services
- Child Development
- Microsoft Outlook
- Safety
- Citation/Style: AMA
- Kindle
- Disasters
- Database: Science Online
- Database: Swank
- Holds
- Cosmetology
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Pages for MAC
- Microsoft Windows
- Mythology
- Genetics
- Android
- Database: Science in Context
- College Success Academy
- Social Work
- Spanish
- Law
- Bias
- Physics
- Anatomy
- Fashion
- SAT
- Library Instruction
- Database: Vocational & Career Collection
- Sports
- Genealogy
- Taxes
- Bibliography
- Google Docs
- calculators
- COM Learning Locations
- Database: WorldCat
- EMS
- Firefighting
- Microsoft Access
- LibChat
- Asian Americans
- Database: Consumer Health Complete
- Database: STAT!Ref
- Roku
- Google Slides
- Accessibility