Copyright
Definition of copyright
American law gives an author of a work rights to reap the fruits of their intellectual creativity for a limited period of time. It protects original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural, and audiovisual creations. Copyright literally means the right to copy, so the owner of the copyright has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and in some cases publicly display the work, prepare derivative works, or perform the work in the case of sound recordings.
History of copyright
The Constitution gives Congress the power to enact laws establishing a system of copyright, and the first law enacted was in May 1790. The first work was registered within two weeks. Originally claims were recorded by clerks of U.S. District Courts, but were centralized to the Library of Congress in 1870. In 1897 a separate Copyright Office arose. Today it is an important part of the work of the Library of Congress, employing approximately 475 people. The Office yearly registers half a million claims to copyright, records more than 11,000 documents, and collects for distribution to copyright holders more than a quarter of a billion dollars in cable television, satellite carrier and Audio Home Recording Act license fees.
Fair use in the classroom
The rules for fair use for instructors must meet tests of brevity and spontaneity, referring to the amount you can copy and how many times you can copy. If you use something for one semester, it is likely to be seen as fair use, and using something over a period of years is not within the spirit of the guidelines. Use should be for one course at one school. Copies should include a notice of copyright acknowledging the author of the work.
Copywriting faculty generated materials
Individual campuses have policies about ownership of materials created with university monies. New faculty members need to check with their campus to be certain they understand their rights to materials developed while employed there. Whenever possible, copyright original works to protect them from plagiarism or unfair use by others.
History of Copyright
Brief History of U.S. Copyright
US Copyright Office
This site is the source for the history of copyright on this page.
Copyright Definitions/Law
U.S. Copyright
US Copyright Code
There are a number of laws contained in Title 17 of the United States code related to copyright issues. Faculty work is governed by these laws.
Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web
Information and Library Services, University of Maryland University College
This site offers details about use of materials in classrooms.
Examples of Policies and Copyrighted Materials
Copyright Resources Online
Yale University
This site describes a variety of copyright resources.
Copyright of Faculty of Philosophy Website Material
Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford
This site outlines the copyrighted nature of the website and all materials on it.
