Welcome
Welcome to the Rowan University Libraries' guide for copyright resources. Here you will find introductory information on copyright, resources on copyright for authors and instructors, and tutorials and tools for evaluating copyright.
PLEASE NOTE: The information provided in this guide is limited and is not intended to be legal advice. This information must not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a licensed attorney.
What Is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive legal right to use or authorize others' use of their works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.
These rights, however, are not unlimited in scope. Sections 107 through 122 of the 1976 Copyright Act establish limitations on these rights. In some cases, these limitations are specified exemptions from copyright liability. One such limitation is the doctrine of “fair use,” which provides for the limited use of another's work under specific circumstances. In other instances, the limitation takes the form of a “compulsory license” under which certain limited uses of copyrighted works are permitted upon payment of specified royalties and compliance with statutory conditions.
How Do Copyright Laws Affect My Research and/or Classroom Use of Copyrighted Materials?
Research and classroom use of copyrighted materials must comply with copyright law and meet the established criteria for determining "fair use". The Library licenses extensive electronic scholarly resources (books, journals and images) for use in University educational activities. In most cases, you may use these university-wide licensed resources in your presentations and classroom materials without the need to seek copyright permission from the author or owner of the content. If you with to use materials from other sources, you must first obtain copyright permission.
For more information on this topic, see:
Rowan Libraries Copyright Workshop Series
Rowan University Libraries often hosts workshops on copyright during the academic year. Visit the current semester's schedule of library workshops to see when the next one is scheduled.
Below are the slides from previous workshops:
- Copyright 101: Spring 2021
This workshop will introduce participants to the basics of copyright. The focus will be on understanding the basics of copyright for creators and users. We will explore the role of the library in managing use of print materials and licensed electronic resources. The workshop will also briefly introduce participants to key issues related to fair use for teaching, learning and scholarship. - Fair Use and Instruction
This workshop will introduce teaching faculty to the ways that copyright specifically affects classroom and online instruction. The focus will be on the rights and limitations of the fair use doctrine, which allows the use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances, including considerations of educational purposes. The workshop will introduce the traditional four factors of a fair use analysis, and participants will practice using this analysis in a variety of situations.