According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright laws in the United States protect "original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression." Copyright provides copyright owners with exclusive rights to:
- reproduce (i.e. duplicate, photocopy, etc.) the work
- prepare a derivative work
- distribute copies of the work
- perform the work publicly
- display the work publicly
Fair Use allows for legal use of copyrighted material without permission. To be considered Fair Use four factors must be considered:
- Purpose and character of the use
- Nature of the original work
- Amount of the original work used
- Effect on the value of the original work
Find out more about Copyright on the Faculty Resources page or the United States Copyright office page.