Copyright Basics Fundamentals you should know Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

Guiding Questions What is copyright? o What is protected under the law? What is not? What are copyright terms? o How long do they last? What are some of the exceptions and limitations of copyright? How can I copyright my own work? Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What is copyright? Congress has the power, “…to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for a limited Time to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” - U.S Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What is copyright? U.S. Copyright law is not static Current copyright law grants the creator (author, artist, composer, etc.) the exclusive right to: o Reproduce o Prepare derivative works o Distribute copies by sale (or other transfer of ownership), rental, lease, or lending o Perform a work publicly o Display a work publicly This right lasts for a set amount of time Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What is protected? Copyright law protects works that are original and fixed o Original - the work must be unique and not a copy o Fixed - the work must be written or recorded in a tangible manner (digital works are considered tangible) Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What is not protected? Copyright does not cover many things including: o Ideas o Titles o Processes o Works prepared by the federal government o Works that are in the public domain Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What are Copyright Terms? Terms are the duration of copyright Terms vary depending on a number of factors: o Whether or not the work was published o Date of publication o If the author was an individual or a corporation o And more ! Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What are the Exceptions and Limitations? Copyright law has several exceptions and limitations built into it Going to focus on the two you will likely encounter most: o Fair use o Classroom exceptions To see the others look through copyright law beginning at Section 107 o Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

What is fair use? Fair use is a broad exception that allows people to use a work without permission in certain circumstances Four factors to consider: o What is the character or purpose of the use? o What is the nature of the material being used? o How much of the work will be used? o What effect will this use have on the market for the original material? Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

How Can I Copyright My Work? All fixed work is automatically copyrighted Visit if you do want to register your work online with the U.S. Copyright officehttp:// Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

Questions? Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

Resources Search for the status of copyrighted material from after 1978: o Search for the status of some copyrighted material from before 1978: o / / Copyright Education & Consultation page on copyright basics: o basics/ basics/ Copyright Law o Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program

More Info … The Copyright Education & Consultation Program is funded by a Library and Technical Services Grant Administered by the Illinois State Library Please visit our website at Slides produced by the Copyright Education & Consultation Program