"To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;"
The First U.S. Copyright Law (signed by George Washington) - Image & abstract from the journal The Early America Review. Image of document as printed in the Columbian Centinal, July 17, 1990 in Boston, Massachusetts.- from Article I, Section 8 U.S. Constitution
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This document is for the UMass Dartmouth Community and is meant to provide access to a wide selection of resources about copyright, fair use and issues of particular interest to those in higher education.
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Basics - Good sites for a brief overview and understanding of what's involved.
Copyright Clearance & Reprint Services
General Sites - Sites of interest with commentary or their own points of view.
Good Megasites - If you want it all for the best overviews skip this site and go here.
Higher Education - a selection of University and Higher Education sites of note.
Legal & Government - Official governments sites and/or access to the laws, codes and policies themselves.
Library Related - Sites of particular interest for library and library service related issues.
Organization Sites - Sites created by Organizations with an interest in copyright.
UCITA - The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act
"Creative Commons is a non-profit corporation founded on the notion that some people may not want to exercise all of the intellectual property rights the law affords them. We believe there is an unmet demand for an easy yet reliable way to tell the world "Some rights reserved" or even "No rights reserved." Many people have long since concluded that all-out copyright doesn't help them gain the exposure and widespread distribution they want. Many entrepreneurs and artists have come to prefer relying on innovative business models rather than full-fledged copyright to secure a return on their creative investment. Still others get fulfillment from contributing to and participating in an intellectual commons. For whatever reasons, it is clear that many citizens of the Internet want to share their work -- and the power to reuse, modify, and distribute their work -- with others on generous terms. Creative Commons intends to help people express this preference for sharing by offering the world a set of licenses on our Web site, at no charge."
A petition to reclaim the public domain. "We, the undersigned, while believing in the importance of copyright, also believe in the importance of the public domain. We believe the public domain is crucial to the spread of knowledge and culture, and crucial in assuring access to our past. We therefore write to petition you to reconsider major changes that you have made to the copyright system. These changes unnecessarily threaten the public domain without any corresponding benefit to copyright holders."
Basics
A brief intro to copyright - By Brad Templeton - a brief and popular introduction resulting from his "10 Big Myths..." site.
10 Big Myths about copyright explained - By Brad Templeton - "An attempt to answer common myths about copyright seen on the net and cover issues related to copyright and USENET/Internet publication."
The UT System Crash Course in Copyright- An excellent site for beginning to think about copyright from Georgia Harper/University of Texas at Austin.Has a link to a Copyright Crash Course Tutorial.
General Sites of Interest
The Copyright Web site - a site by a lawyer that "endeavors to provide real world, practical and relevant copyright information of interest to infonauts, netsurfers, webspinners, content providers, musicians, appropriationists, activists, infringers, outlaws, and law abiding citizens." A good site for a brief overview and for keeping up with issues including "copyright busts."
EFF "Intellectual Property Online: Patent, Trademark, Copyright" Archive - The Electronic Frontier Foundation archive of articles, summaries and links.
An Ethical Edge in Education Cognizance of Copyrights and Copy Wrongs by Duane Goehner. It was presented on October 4, 1997 in Seattle, Washington at the International Conference: The Social and Moral Fabric of School Life.
An Intellectual Property Law Primer for Multimedia and Web Developers - by by J. Dianne Brinson and Mark F. Radcliffe (Copyright 1996).
LII Law about ...Copyright - from LII - The Legal Information Institute's overview on copyright with internal and external links to additional information.
Patent, Copyright and Trademark - from online legal encyclopedia at NOLO.COM: Law for All site. Internal links to specific information and notices of NOLO's books on related topics (many of which the UMD library has for your use!).
Higher Education Sites
CETUS: Fair Use of Copyrighted Works: A Crucial Element in Educating America - by SUNY CETUS: Consortium for Educational Technology in University Systems. This site "contains the electronic version of Fair Use of Copyrighted Works, a pamphlet published by CETUS. It was put together by the Working Group on Ownership, Legal Rights of Use and Fair Use of the CSU-SUNY-CUNY Joint Committee." It also has links to other sites.
Copyright & Fair Use - Brief outline of links to general information and related sites from Stanford University Libraries.
Copyright and Fair Use in the Classroom, on the Internet, and the World Wide Web - from the Information and Library Services, University of Maryland University College, a overview on copyright and fair use with university guidelines.
Copyright and Internet: Social Claims and Government's Intervention - by Yong-Chan Kim (Copyright 1996, 1997) - a paper which intends to "analyze and criticize the process in which such issues are treated and debated in this country."
Copyright Information - Office of the General Counsel, University of Tennessee - "general information about copyright law to assist University of Tennessee faculty, staff, and students in understanding this complex area of the law".
Copyright Information - Penn State's policies and general information on copyright.
Copyright Law and Fair Use Why Ignorance Is Not Bliss—A Case for Using Guidelines - by Linda K. Enghagen
- an April, 1998 commentary article in the The Technology Source.
Copyright Law and Recent Changes: An Overview - UMass Office of Information Technology (Fall 1999 Newsletter)
Copyright Policy of Princeton University
Copyright Resources Online - from Yale University - a great summary with links to everywhere! A must use resource.
Cornell University Copyright Policy
Digital Mellinneum Copyright Act - from the Educause Current Issues Site with links to other sites and to updates from Educause's online newsletter Washington Update
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act - The UCLA Online Institute for Cyberspace Law and Policy
Highlights of U.S. Copyright Law - from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Intellectual Property in Cyberspace by Hale & Dorr - A series of lectures and discussions on the topic sponsored by the law firm of Hale & Dorr. Includes a "library" of links to various sites and documents on the topics being discussed.
Regents Guide to Understanding Copyright & Educational Fair Use
- Developed by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to help "faculty, employees, and students of the University System of Georgia with a basic understanding of copyright and fair use". A thorough guide to most everything related to copyright and universities, re pleat with good examples and forms.
Copyright: A Crash Course - "The Teach Act Finally Becomes Law" - University of Texas
Legal & Government
CLEA: The Collection of Laws for Electronic Access - administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - contains 35 countries, European Communities, and WIPO treaties.
CIPO-OPIC Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Office de la propriété intellectuelle
Copyright - from the FindLaw (see general site below) CyberSpace Law Center. Good links to laws, decisions, and general copyright sources.
Copyright and Digital Distance Education - Library of Congress, Copyright Office
Copyright Law in Cyberspace - a syllabus for a "copyright crash course" given by Georgia Harper, from the Office of General Council, University of Texas System- A NACUA Midyear Workshop February 28 - March 1,1996. Some interesting information on copyright issues for Universities, especially in regards to infringement on university Web sites.
Copyright legislation - U.S. Congress - links to legislative documents including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Copyright Treaty - CRNR-DC-94 - WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Copyright Treaty 1996.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Summary U.S. Copyright Office Summary. 
(PDF format)
Digital Millennium Copyright Act: Section 403 (H. R. 2281—30) - limitations on existing rights; Distance Education 
(PDF format)
FindLaw - a Web portal focused on law and government that provides access to Web search utilities, cases and codes, legal news, and copyright and intellectual property links using the sites search tools.
International Copyright - U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress - FL 100
Ocean State Lawyers For The Arts (OSLA) - a local "Rhode Island affiliate of a nationwide network of non-profit public service organizations dedicated to providing legal assistance to visual artists, actors, performers, theatre companies, museums, dance troupes, artists' groups and any other artists or arts organizations in need of help regarding contracts, copyrights, trademarks, tax-exempt status, collection of accounts and any other arts-related problems."
Protecting Intellectual Property Rights: Copyrights, Trademarks and Trade Secrets - Dept. of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) site providing guidelines, statements and issues.
Report on Copyright and Digital Distance Education - U.S. Copyright Office, May 1999. A Report of the Register of Copyrights ( PDF format )
TEACH Act (Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2001) - Text of the TEACH ACT
TEACH Act - ( PDF format ) - from the Government Printing Office
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Home Page
U.S. Copyright Act (U.S. Code Title 17) - from the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University
U.S. Copyright Office Home Page - Library of Congress
U.S. Copyright Office, Distance Education Study Copyright - As they say here "The Copyright Office will post copies of all public notices, written comments, and other material relevant to the distance education study on this web page as it becomes available. The Office's Report will be posted here as well." Important dates for meetings, etc. related to copyright are posted here as well.
U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright Basics - Circular 1 - from the U.S. Copyright Office/Library of Congress.
U.S. Copyright Law -- Contents - Copyright Law of the United States of America Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code (not including certain amendments)
U.S. Copyright Office, FAQ - Questions frequently asked in the Copyright Office Public Information Section
U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright Regulations- CFR Title 37 - Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 - Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights
Library Related
ALA - Copyright: Libraries & Copyright in the Digital Age
Association of Research Libraries Copyright Committee - Links from the committee.
A Brief Webliography on U.S. Copyright Law - Northeast Massachusetts Digital Library Initiative
Copyright Information and Resources - Brandeis University Libraries
Copyright: Ownership and Use - North Carolina State University Libraries: Great array of resources listed.
Copyright and Intellectual Contents Table of Contents - The Association of Research Libraries site with links to further ARL subject pages and other sites.
Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights - Berkley Digital Library Sunsite
Copyright Law - the Medical Library Associations site on copyright law containing their position statements, FAQ, and links to other sites.
Copyright Management Center, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis - site includes general copyright & fair use information, distance education, and university guidelines
Copyright Information for Faculty - M.I.T. Libraries
An Education in ©opyright Law: A Primer for Cyberspace - Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 6, No. 1 (Fall 2003)
Electronic Reserves Clearinghouse: Links and Materials on the Web - links of all kinds related to reserves including discussion groups, library organizations, articles, automation vendor information, and e-reserves sites.
IFLA: Position paper on copyright in the electronic environment - International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
Internet, Copyright and Linking - an article by Charles Oppenheim, Free Pint, January 1999 #29 (http://www.freepint.co.uk/), ISSN 1460-7239
Law about ...Copyright: An Overview - from the Legal Information Institute at Cornell University
The Technology, Education And Copyright Harmonization Act Of 2001 (S. 487) - from The American Association of Law Libraries Washington Affairs Office
University of Arizona Library Copyright Resources
Copyright and Multimedia Law for Web builders and Multimedia Authors - a great site with good links, great descriptions and related sites of interest at the same location.
Organization Sites
American Intellectual Property Law Association (IPLA)- an organization with interests in patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition law, as well as other fields of law affecting intellectual property.
ASCAP'S Guide to Resources: - Copyright Information/Music Publishing/Sub-Publishing (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)
Association of American Publishers - AAP views on copyright and related issues.
AAU: Copyright (Association of American Universities)
BMI licensing toolbox - licensing and copyright information on songs and song writing
Chilling Effects Clearinghouse - "These pages will help you understand the protections intellectual property laws and the First Amendment give to your online activities". A joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, and University of San Francisco law school clinics.
Home of the Digital Future Coalition - Information, commentary and debate on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (Public Law No: 105-304). Here is the DFC "The Digital Millenium Copyright Act Index"
CNI (Coalition for Networked Information) - Information Policies: A Compilation of Position Statements, Principles,
Statutes, and Other Pertinent Statements
Information Policies US -- Copyright Basics - CNI-Coalition for Networked Information
Motion Picture Association of America - the associations updates on legislation and piracy
Software Information Industry Association (SIIS) - they call it piracy
SPA Anti-Piracy Home Page - Software Publisher's Association
Copyright Clearance & Reprint Services
CLA: The Copyright Licensing Agency, LTD - "The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd is the UK's Reproduction Rights Organization and a member of IFRRO, the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations."
Copyright Clearance Center - as they state: "... the largest licenser of photocopy reproduction rights in the world, was formed in 1978 to facilitate compliance with U.S. copyright law. CCC provides licensing systems for the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials in print and electronic formats throughout the world."
UCITA - The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act
The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws - the official site of the Uniform Law Commissioners. It contains drafts of the Uniform and Model Acts.
UCITA 101 - What is UCITA and more ...general information and links on the topic
A Quick look at the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) - a July 1999 information article from ARL, ALA, AALL, MLA, SLA library organizations
Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) - A list of articles on the Act broken down by topic by Cem Kaner.
Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) The Association of Research Libraries site on UCITA with links to ARL responses, commentary and other sites.
Some of the documents listed above are in PDF format (Portable Document Format) and require the installation of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is free software that will allow you to view and print PDF formatted documents. PDF is a commonly used format for delivering documents with fonts, formatting, colors and images intact regardless of platform (MAC, PC, etc.). Download the Reader by going to the Adobe Web site.
Copyright Fair Use & Related Issues
Charlie McNeil
Systems & Digital Services Librarian
