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United States Copyright Law
Links
The use of written & recorded material is governed by the United States Copyright Law (Title 17 United States Code).
As a service, we are providing these links and this information so that you may have a better understanding of your rights and obligations under the United States Code. The Young Library Staff cannot provide Legal Advice regarding U.S. or International Copyright Law. For specific questions, we suggest that you consult legal counsel.
Under the current copyright law, it is best to assume that works published since 1923 are covered by copyright protection. Assume that all works created after 1977 are enjoy copyright protection; also assume that works created, but not published, before 1978 are protected. The exceptions to this rule-of-thumb are US Government documents (state and local government documents are eligible for copyright protection) and works explicitly placed into the public domain by their creators.
The most relevant section of the copyright law for scholars and other researchers is §107, which defines and grants Fair Use privilege to users of copyrighted works. A layman's explanation of fair use is available at www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html. In general, should any question arise regarding Fair Use, it it best to contact the copyright holder of a work for permission to make copies. For more information see www.copyrightoncampus.com/compliance/index.asp
The staff of Young Library takes copyright and licensing issues very seriously. Use of copyrighted material without license and apart from fair use allowances (infringement) is not only a legal issue (17 USC 501), but a moral and spiritual one (Exo. 20:15). Copyright infringement is theft.
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research. If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of fair use, that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
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