LibGuides: Copyright: Copyright Basics

Copyright

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 This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

It gives copyright holders a set of exclusive rights to

reproduce the work, in whole or in part
distribute copies of the work
publicly perform the work
publicly display the work
prepare derivative works based on the original, such as translations or adaptations

These rights are subject to exceptions and limitations, such as a fair use provision that allows limited uses of works without permission from the copyright holder.

Copyright Protects

Literary works
Musical works, including any accompanying words
Dramatic works, including any accompanying music
Pantomimes and choreographic works
Pictorial, graphic and sculptural works
Motion pictures and other audiovisual works
Sound recordings
Architectural works
Computer software

Copyright Basics
This circular from the U.S. Copyright Office provides an overview of basic facts about copyright and copyright registration with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Copyright.gov
The official website of the U.S. Copyright Office provides a wealth of up-to-date information on copyright law.

ATSU Copyright Policies

ATSU Policy No.10-206: Copyright
The purpose of this general order is to establish the respective right of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) and its employees with regard to copyrights.
ATSU Policy No. 10-207: Copying and Use of Copyrighted Materials
The purpose of this general order is to ensure that employees of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) follow copyright laws, as from time to time are enacted. This policy sets out the general guidelines for copying and use of copied materials and represents a sincere effort to function within the law.
ATSU Policy No. 10-208: Intellectual Property Policy and Procedures
In order to have a simple and effective mechanism for protecting the intellectual property of the A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (University or ATSU), its affiliates, and employees, as well as a means of commercially exploiting any such property, this policy on intellectual property is instituted.

Library Copyright Policy for Course Reading and Reserves
The use of copyrighted materials for instructional purposes must be done in compliance with copyright law. This document summarizes relevant copyright law and A.T. Still University copyright policy as it applies to the use of library material for course readings.

Legal Disclaimer

The Vice President & General Counsel, Matthew Heeren, has reviewed and approved this site to research copyright questions, as of October 6th 2021. Direct any specific legal questions relating to copyright to Mr. Heeren.

The educational materials on copyright is not intended to substitute for and is in no way legal advice.