Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright is a complex concept. The American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy has created several tools which explain what content is covered by Copyright Law and how the Fair Use Doctrine modifies the copyright law for certain uses of this content.

• Digital Copyright Slider
  Determine when a copyrighted work will graduate into the Public Domain
• Section 108 Spinner 
  Determine when the library can make reproductions of copyrighted works
• Fair Use Evaluator
  Determine whether the planned use of a reproduction of a copyrighted work fall under the "Fair Use" exception in U.S. copyright law
• Exceptions for Instructors U.S. Copyright Law
  Section 110(1) display or performance of copyrighted works ("face to face exception") and Section 110(2) analogous uses in online or hybrid courses (TEACH Act)
• Copyright for Librarians Textbook
  Textbook covering Copyright basics and current issues in Copyright
• Copyright Advisory Network (via ALA OITP)
  Find current library practices in Copyright compliance

The Shippensburg University Library provides in depth Copyright guidance for faculty and students in matters relating to the use of copyrighted materials. Additional Copyright information sources are linked below.

Information for Faculty Authors

• Managing copyright in your own work from Duke University's Scholarly Communications Office
• SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, has created this Authors Rights resource

Copyright and Fair Use

• What is copyright protected?
• Determining Fair Use
• Exceptions for the use of Materials in an Educational Setting
• Exceptions for Instructors in U.S. Copyright Law

Using Copyrighted Content

• In Course packs
• In Course Management Systems (D2L)
• For Library Reserves
  • Lehman Library Reserves Guidelines
    • Reserves Policy and Procedure
    • Course Reserves Resources
    • Reserve Materials Copyright Guidelines
    • Instructions for Students to Access Reserves
• For Digital Content
• For Photocopies
• Obtaining copyright permission for public performances.
  • To obtain broadcast permission for films, contact Cindy Zeger on the Lower Level of Lehman Library, Room 005. (717) 477-1466
  • Please be advised of the following conditions:
    • Allow time for permissions to be asked and received; it is wise to begin the procedure as soon as possible.
    • A charge is made by copyrights owners for permission and can be quite expensive. It is important to identify a budget to which the charge can be applied.

Other Resources

• Campus Copyright Guide.  A booklet on copyright written especially for higher education communities, developed by representatives of the Association of American Universities, Association of Research Libraries, Association of American University Presses, and the Association of American Publishers.
• Center for Academic Integrity's Educational Resources
• Columbia University's Copyright Advisory Office provides guidance on copyright issues. Led by Dr. Kenneth Crews, an observer and prolific writer on copyright issues.