Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright

The Library Reserves service upholds current copyright laws and relies on its educational Fair Use guidelines. Library staff will assist faculty in evaluating how copyright affects reserve materials before including them in our collection. Copyrighted material used for consecutive semesters may require the permission of the copyright holder. A copyright notice will appear on the first page of photocopied reserve material, indicating that it is, or may be covered by copyright law. Full citations and attributions to original sources will be included.

For additional information about Fair Use, please refer to section 107 of Title 17 United States Code, Copyright Law:  http://www.loc.gov/copyright/title17.

Fair Use

As stated in Section 107 of the US Copyright Act, educational, not-for-profit institutions are afforded special exemptions from copyright laws. These exemptions, known as the Fair Use guidelines, are questions for determining whether copies may be made:

  • What is the character of use? Is it for educational, not-for-profit, or commercial use?
  • What is the nature of work to be copied? Is it factual, published, or imaginative?
  • What is the amount to be copied in proportion to the original? A small amount or more than that?
  • What is the market effect of copying? Will it compete with sale of original work?

Fair Use Interpretation for Campbell Library Reserves:

  • A single copy of an article from a periodical or newspaper
  • A single chapter from a book
  • A short story, essay or poem
  • A graphic representation
  • A link to a full-text article through a subscribed database

We will seek permission in the following cases, which exceed Fair Use:

  • Materials used repeatedly (more than one semester) by the same instructor for the same course
  • Materials that exceed the amount of work (single chapter or article) rule
  • Materials that infringe upon commercial rights of the copyright owner

The Library will seek permission and pay royalties for Reserve submissions exceeding Fair Use guidelines. We will not pay more than $50 for a single document, and we will not spend more than $100 for a single course. Library staff will work with faculty to determine alternatives when costs become prohibitive, or when copyright permission is denied.