Copyright & Fair Use for Faculty

Digitization or sharing of materials for educational purposes increases the risk of copyright infringement. This guide provides information to assist faculty in understanding:

• General copyright information 
• The exceptions and limitations of Section 107 of the Copyright Act (just because it is intended for education, does not mean it qualifies for fair use)
• What, if any, permissions are required to digitize materials
• How to make copyright determinations

The United States copyright law is contained in chapters 1 through 8 and 10 through 12 of Title 17 of the United States Code. The Copyright Act of 1976, which provides the basic framework for the current copyright law, was enacted on October 19, 1976, as Pub. L. No. 94-553, 90 Stat. 2541. The 1976 Act was a comprehensive revision of the copyright law in Title 17.