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Student Common Questions about Computer Misuse and Copyright Violations
- Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. When in doubt, seek permission to reproduce material.
- To use copyrighted materials lawfully, you must obtain permission from the applicable copyright holders or a copyright licensing agent.
- By reproducing, republishing or redistributing the work of a copyright holder without permission, you may be violating or infringing on his or her rights under the Copyright Act (http://www.copyright.gov/title17) and may be sued for compensation by the copyright holder or held criminally liable.
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- U.S. copyright law applies equally to both digital and non-digital works. Review the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA; www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf) prior to reproducing print, audio or video material.
- Specific requirements must be met in order for the use of copyrighted materials in distance education to qualify for TEACH (Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization) Act exemptions. Visit http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl107-273.html#13301 for more information.
TEACH Toolkit - An online resource for understanding copyright and distance education.
- The use of student-created materials by an institution or its faculty requires permission from the copyright holder—the student. Usage requiring consent includes the posting of student materials in a public location such as the Internet.
- Copying and/or distributing software for any reason without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder or its agent is an infringement of the copyright holder’s rights. Permission would include a license that allows you to make copies of the software beyond a single use. For more information on copyright and computer software, please visit the Software and Information Industry Association Web site at http://www.siia.net.
- Review University’s Statement on Copyright at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-itcs/policies/copyright.cfm.
Additional Links
http://www.copyright.iupui.edu/
http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html
