Copyright
What is Copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection for creators of information.
Among other things,copyright establishes who has the right:
- to reproduce the work
- to prepare derivative works
- to perform or display the work
Copyright is grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
Read more at the United States Copyright Office web site.
U.S. Copyright Law
Search electronic versions of the U.S. Copyright Law and current legislation.
- Complete Version of the U.S. Copyright Law
The document is provided by the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Current Legislation
The U.S. Copyright Office provides a link to current legislation.
Education & Resources
See the following web sites for more information, remember copyright is complicated and different stakeholders (Copyright Clearance Center vs. an academic institution) may provide seemingly contradictory information.
Getting Permission
Parkland subscribes to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), a service through which we can obtain permission for use of copyrighted works. Please use this service. The results of the 2012 Self Study reveal that this service is significantly underutilized at Parkland College.
The Library will initiate copyright permissions requests for you. To begin this process, please contact Deb Probasco (dprobasco@parkland.edu) and provide the following information:
- Course Information: course number and section, approximate number of students, online or face-to-face
- Citation Information: author, title, pagination, publication dates, edition, etc.
- Type of use: paper copy, e.g. class handout, course packet; electronic copy e.g. upload to Cobra, electronic library reserves, etc.
Allow a minimum of three weeks for the Library and Copyright Clearance Center to process your request.
Costs associated with copyright clearance are billed to the department and require approval of the Department Chair/Director.
Parkland Policy
From the Policies and Procedures Manual
Copyright Notice
NOTICE WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Copyright vs. Patents and Trademarks
Copyright protects original works of authorship. Patent protects inventions or discoveries. Ideas and discoveries are not protected by the copyright law, although the way in which they are expressed may be.
A trademark protects words, phrases, symbols, or designs, identifying the source of the goods or services of one party and distinguishing them from those of others.