COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE
What is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. (U.S. Copyright Office). Everything you find on the Internet is protected by Copyright. Copyright laws allow people to own the exclusives rights to their intellectual property: audio, visual, printed material, or computer software that they create. This means others must have their permission to copy a significant portion of their work, use images they create, distribute copies of their work, perform their work publicly, or display their work publicly.
What Is Fair Use?
In its most general sense, fair use allows for the use of copyrighted material for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Quoting or paraphrasing sources that are part of your secondary research for a paper is a good example of fair use- don't forget to give them credit for their work with an in-text citation followed by a full citation in a Works Cited or References page at the end of your paper. Fair use does not require the permission of the copyright owner. In other words, fair use is a defense against a claim of copyright infringement. If your use qualifies as fair use, then it would not be considered illegal.
Some creators of information, give permission for the use of their materials for certain purposes as soon as they make them available on the Internet. You can use Google Advanced Search or Creative Commons Search to narrow your results to just those items with usage rights that meet your needs:
If you want to designate your own creative work online for others to be able to share and use it, you can register a use license for your work at Creative Commons.
Copyrighted materials can be used in projects as long as Fair Use Guidelines are followed.
The following link offers guidelines for copyright and fair use from the University of California:http://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/fair-use.html
What is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. (U.S. Copyright Office). Everything you find on the Internet is protected by Copyright. Copyright laws allow people to own the exclusives rights to their intellectual property: audio, visual, printed material, or computer software that they create. This means others must have their permission to copy a significant portion of their work, use images they create, distribute copies of their work, perform their work publicly, or display their work publicly.
What Is Fair Use?
In its most general sense, fair use allows for the use of copyrighted material for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Quoting or paraphrasing sources that are part of your secondary research for a paper is a good example of fair use- don't forget to give them credit for their work with an in-text citation followed by a full citation in a Works Cited or References page at the end of your paper. Fair use does not require the permission of the copyright owner. In other words, fair use is a defense against a claim of copyright infringement. If your use qualifies as fair use, then it would not be considered illegal.
Some creators of information, give permission for the use of their materials for certain purposes as soon as they make them available on the Internet. You can use Google Advanced Search or Creative Commons Search to narrow your results to just those items with usage rights that meet your needs:
- Free to use or share: Allows you to copy or redistribute its content if the content remains unchanged.
- Free to use share or modify: Allows you to copy, modify, or redistribute in ways specified in the license.
- Commercially: If you want content for commercial use, ie. if there's money involved, be sure to select an option that includes the word "commercially."
If you want to designate your own creative work online for others to be able to share and use it, you can register a use license for your work at Creative Commons.
Copyrighted materials can be used in projects as long as Fair Use Guidelines are followed.
The following link offers guidelines for copyright and fair use from the University of California:http://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/fair-use.html