Copyright Facts

Most members of the university community can be fairly characterized as both creators and users of copyrighted materials. It behooves us all, then, to acquire an understanding of some of the basic facts about U.S. copyright law. Copyright is an intellectual property right that covers all types of "original" works, including:

Many people do not realize that the copyright notice (©, name, date) is no longer required for works created after 3/1/89. This is the date that the United States became a signatory to an international copyright treaty, the Berne Convention. One of the effects of joining that treaty was to eliminate some of our copyright formalities, including the copyright notice. Therefore, just because a work does not have a copyright notice on it, do not assume that it is not protected by copyright. It probably is.

Nothing prohibits the placement of your copyright notice on your work. Putting such a notice on a work is a good idea. It alerts those who are not aware that a work may be protected even without a copyright notice, and it identifies the actual copyright holder. Additionally, the online environment allows the copyright holder a convenient opportunity to let potential users know what uses, if any, he/she is willing to allow, above and beyond fair use or other statutory exemptions. For example, clicking on the copyright notice might bring up information like this, perhaps this, or this, thus saving everyone a great deal of time and effort.

Purpose of Copyright | Copyright Facts | The First Sale Doctrine | Rights of the Copyright Holder Limitations on Exclusive Rights: Fair Use -- Performances & Displays -- Library Exemptions The Internet | Posting Material on the Internet | Musical Works | Who Owns the Copyright to Student Work? Student Webpages

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