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Copyright and Fair Use

An overview of copyright, focusing on your rights as a copyright owner and use of other people's works in academic contexts

No Permissions Necessary

This section covers resources that you can use without permission or a fair use analysis.  These include:

  • The public domain (everything before 1923; US gov't publications)
  • Creative Commons licensed content
  • Library licensed content
  • Open education resources

Open Resources

image of open access logoHow much money do you spend each semester on textbooks?  Did you know that the library can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a subscription to a single journal?  A growing number of people believe that research funded by the government and universities should be free to everyone.  This is known as the Open Access movement.  A related movement, Open Education, seeks to remove barriers to people who are seeking educational resources.  The rights under which this material is made available varies.  You can access all of it for personal use, but check the rights statements for each item to see how the creators want it to be used.

Library Licensed Content

icon of a libraryResources licensed by libraries often explicitly allow sharing within the campus community.  If you have questions about how to link to library resources in your online course or about appropriate uses of specific content, ask a librarian.