COPYRIGHT GUIDELINES
When copying articles for class, the primary guideline to follow is "fair use," which allows for limited reproduction of copyrighted material for educational purposes, typically including copying a single article from a journal or a reasonable excerpt from a longer work, as long as proper attribution is given and the use is for teaching purposes only, not for distribution beyond the class.
Key Points to Remember
- Limit copying
- Attribution is key (include complete citation information for the source)
- Consider the fair use factors.
- Purpose and character of use
- Nature of copyright work
- Amount of the portion used
- Effect of the use upon the potential market
- Sample situations
- Multiple copies for class distribution: Making multiple copies of an article for distribution to students in a class is generally considered fair use, but be sure to limit the amount copied and only distribute to enrolled students.
- Consumable materials: Do not copy entire workbooks, tests, or other "consumable" materials designed to be used once.
- Online access: If accessing an article through a database or online subscriptions, check the terms of use for any limitations on copying and distribution.
- When to seek permission
- Large portions of a work: contact the copyright holder to request permission (up to 10% or one chapter is permissible).
- Commercial use: Never copy copyrighted material for commercial purposes without permission.
The QR code will take you to "Welcome to CU Library" resources. (you must be using your CU email to access)
- What is Copyright?
- More on Fair Use
- Notice: Warning concerning Copyright Restrictions. The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Office, U. S. C. (n.d.). What is copyright?. What is Copyright? | U.S. Copyright Office. https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/