Copyright and Fair Use

It is essential for all faculty, staff, and students to use library material in compliance with the United States Copyright Law. The Internet, book, and audiovisual resources listed on this page will give you a better understanding of copyright and how to use copyrighted material.

Internet Resources

This list includes interactive tutorials, answers to frequently asked questions, the copyright law and TEACH Act, and other useful links.

A Map of Use Issues created by the University of Minnesota University Libraries provides a 'Can I Use It' chart, a text version of the chart, and additional links to help you learn more about copyrightable materials and use in context.

Codes for Best Practices prepared by Center for Social Media and the Association of Research Libraries [ARL] these 'Best Practices' provide guidance on how to deal with multimedia copyright issues.

College of DuPage Copyright Information provides guidelines for using copyrighted material. Includes faqs, links to the copyright law, fair use the TEACH Act, public domain and other resources.

Copyright Clearance Center offers information for the academic community concerning copyright issues and the compliance process. Useful links include a guide to copyright compliance, best practices for using course management systems and electronic reserves, a glossary and tips to understanding the TEACH Act.

Copyright Information for Educators provides links to key copyright sites for the academic community. The link categories include "Copyright Basics," "Copyright in Academia," "Draft Guidelines Proposed by the Conference on Fair Use (CONFU)," "Obtaining Permission," and "Internet/Web Issues."

Copyright Information Center at Cornell University provides links to information about copyright and copyright law from an academic perspective. Includes information on training programs, faqs on copyright, hot topics, scholarly communication, and copyright management for authors.

Copyrights and Wrongs is a comprehensive point by point examination of copyright as it applies to professors and academics in general. Courtesy of Ann Springer, Counsel and the American Association of University Professors.

Crash Course in Copyright is an interactive tutorial that teaches about all aspects of copyright. It is maintained by the legal counsel at the University of Texas at Austin.

Digital Copyright Slider a sliding scale giving information on whether permission is needed for particular work according to the term of its copyright protection. Courtesy of Michael Brewer and the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy.

Exceptions for Instructors eTool guides the user through the educational exceptions in U.S. copyright law, and helps to explain and clarify rights and responsibilities. Courtesy of Michael Brewer and the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy

Fair Use Evaluator this resource helps users understand how to determine if the use of a protected work is a "fair use. " It also provides a time-stamped PDF document for the users' records. Courtesy of Michael Brewer and the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy

Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Fair Use Resources from the University of Albany Libraries. This guide provides access to a wealth of links and other resources dealing with the aspects of copyright.

Section 108 Spinner courtesy of Michael Brewer and the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy. This resource allows libraries and archives to make reproductions under certain circumstances.

Stanford's Copyright Renewal Database from Stanford University. A searchable database of copyright renewal records received by the Copyright Office between 1950 and 1993 for books published in the US between 1923 and 1963.

Tales from the Public Domain: Bound by Law? is a tongue-in-cheek look at copyright that "...translates law into plain English and ideas into 'visual metaphors'." Created by Keith Aoki, James Boyle, and Jennifer Jenkins, copyright 2006 in conjuction with the Center for the Study of the Public Domain, Duke University.

TEACH Act - Amended Section 110(2) [2002] produced by University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill, professor and copyright specialist, Dr. Laura Gasaway. This chart, created on November 25, 2002, provides a comparison of the old Section 110 (1)-(2) Classroom Exemptions and the Section 110 (2) TEACH Act.

US Copyright Office provides information about copyright and copyright law. It has links to the Office's publications such as factsheets and circulars.

When U.S. Works Pass Into the Public Domain [2003] produced by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, professor and copyright specialist, Dr. Laura Gasaway and Professor Tom Field, Franklin Pierce Law Center. The chart notes that in 2003 copyrighted works that fell into the public domain included anything published before 1923. The chart also indicates length of protection for works under older interpretations of U.S. Copyright Law.

Books and Audiovisuals

Reference Books

West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2004
Call Number: R 349.7303 W529e 2004
Location: Brenham, Bryan, and Schulenburg Reference

Encyclopedia of Education. 2003
Call Number R 370.3 En19o 2003
Location: Brenham and Bryan Reference
Note: V. 4, p. 1186-1190 has an entry on intellectual property rights

Selective List of Books and Audiovisuals in the Library

Search the Library Catalog by the subject "copyright" to identify material owned by the library on the topic of copyright. You also may browse the stacks by call number 346.730482 to locate relevant books.

Copyright: A Guide to Information and Resources / Gary H. Becker
Lake Mary, FL : G.H. Becker, 2003
Call Number: 346.04 B388c 2003
Location: Brenham and Bryan

Copyright for schools: A Practical Guide
Simpson, Carol. Worthington, Ohio : Linworth Books, 2005
Call Number: 346.730482 Si58c 2005
Location: Brenham and Bryan

Copyright for teachers and librarians..
Butler, Rebecca P. New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2004
Call Number: 346.730482 B978c
Location: Brenham and Bryan

Copyright's highway : from Gutenberg to the celestial jukebox / Paul Goldstein.
Stanford , Calif. : Stanford University Press, c2003.
Call Number: 346.7304 G578c 2003
Location: Brenham and Bryan

Copyrights and copywrongs : the rise of intellectual property and how it threatens creativity.
Vaidhyanathan, Siva. New York : New York University Press, c2001.
Call Number: 346.730482 V191c
Location: Brenham and Bryan

Digital copyright : protecting intellectual property on the Internet
Jessica Litman. Amherst , N.Y. : Prometheus Books, 2001.
Call Number: 346.730482 L714d
Location: Brenham and Bryan

The future of ideas : the fate of the commons in a connected world.
Lessig, Lawrence. New York : Random House, c2001.
Call Number: 346.0480285 L566f
Location: Bryan

The illustrated story of copyright.
Samuels, Edward B. New York : St. Martin 's Press, 2000.
Call Number: 346.730482 Sa49i
Location: Brenham and Bryan

Libraries, copyright, and the Internet [videorecording] / presented by Starlink.
Imprint: [ Dallas , Tex. ] : Starlink, 1999.
Description: 1 videocassette ; 1/2 in +
Call Number: VT 025.12 L616c
Location: Brenham

Plagiarism

An important academic ethic that college students must learn is to properly credit the intellectual efforts of others. This ethic safeguards the integrity of ideas and the building of knowledge. Plagiarism occurs when someone uses another's ideas or words without acknowledgment. Plagiarism, whether intentional or accidental, is a form of "scholastic dishonesty" at Blinn College and it carries consequences (Blinn College Student Handbook) pages 59-64. The print and online resources listed on this page provide information about plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Avoiding Plagiarism - Offers basic guidelines for avoiding plagiarism when writing a research paper. Prepared by Duke University Libraries.

Guide to Plagiarism and Cyber-Plagiarism - Contains useful definitions, resources, and information for students and faculty regarding the detection and prevention of plagiarism. Produced by the University of Alberta Libraries.

How to Avoid Plagiarism - Contains examples of how to properly cite and how not to cite various items such as charts, graphs, quotes, ect. in papers. Developed by the Undergraduate Academic Conduct Committee on Academic Integrity at Northwestern University.

It's Still Plagiarism, Even if it's Virtual - An informative guide which details how plagiarism can occur using various media and how to avoid it. The guide was created by Marla Wallace, Community College of Rhode Island and adapted by Linda Flynn, Director of Library Services, Blinn College.

Plagiarism - Comprehensive guide for materials on plagiarism. Created by Sharon Stoeger, MLS, MBA as an adaptation of the web pages she created for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Plagiarism: A How-Not-To Guide - Defines plagiarism and presents tips for avoiding it. Prepared by Barry Cull of the University of New Brunswick Libraries.

Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It - Contains pamphlets which help point out what plagiarism is and how to recognize it as well as strategies to avoid plagiarism. Created by Writing Tutorial Service at Indiana Unversity.

Plagiarism - Up Close and Personal - Lists links to key sources on plagiarism. Compiled by C.R. Reynolds of the University of North Alabama.

What is Plagiarism - A thoughtful essay and guide designed to help students avoid plagiarism. Created by S.E. Van Bramer, Department of Chemistry, Widener University.

You Quote It, You Note It - A very creative tutorial that easily explains plagiarism and its consequences. Created by the Vaughn Memorial Library, Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada.