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Copyright
If you intend to reproduce or publish primary sources, always make sure that you have the correct permissions regarding copyright. This is true both for materials you may have consulted in person at a repository, as well as for digitized materials you may have consulted on the Web. Some materials may be in the public domain, and therefore no longer subject to copyright restrictions. Some types of research fall under the Fair Use provision of U.S. Copyright law. The following resources may be helpful in your efforts to determine your own copyright situation.
Remember, it's always
best to begin your search with a curator or librarian in special collections.
They are used to questions about copyright and may be able to quickly
provide answers.
Resources for Copyright Information
- U. S. Copyright Office:
Start at the source - the U. S. Copyright Office's official website
with documentation, F. A. Q., and information about current legislation.
Also see Circular 22: How
to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work.
- The
Campus Guide to Copyright Compliance: Designed for academic
institutions, this guide helps answer questions ranging from basic copyright
law to the more complex topics of ILL and e-reserves.
- University of Texas, Austin: Copyright
Crash Course: This site contains analysis of copyright law as
it applies to students.
- UNESCO: Collection
of National Copyright Laws: Provides "access to national
copyright and related rights legislation of UNESCO Member States."
- Duke University: Rare
Book, Manuscripts, and Special Collections Library - Policy on Copyright
and Use: Guidelines for copyright issues specific to reproduction
of primary materials.
- Indiana University: Copyright
Management Center: This very useful site includes guides
to Fair Use, as well as a primer
on obtaining permissions.
- University of Texas: WATCH: Writers, Artists and their Copyright Holders: A searchable database providing contact information for the trusts, organizations, and individuals who hold and grant copyright permissions for artists, writers, and their works.
Books:
- Goldstein, Paul. Copyright. 2nd ed. (Boston, Mass. : Little,
Brown, 1996).
- Nimmer, Melville B. and David Nimmer. Nimmer on Copyright. (New York : Matthew Bender and Lexis Publishing, 2000).
