Copyright is a set of laws designed to protect original works of authorship in a tangible form of expression. These laws offer copyright owners’ protection over how their work is reused.
Copyright
Requirements for Copyright Protection
The owner of the Copyright, has
Copyright registration is not required in order to enjoy protection for your work. However, it is still a good idea to register your copyright in a work. It is an easy process that helps ensure the U.S. Copyright Office has a record of your original work and your claim to copyright ownership. Registration is also the required first step if you decide to sue someone for infringement. Copyrights can be registered online through the Copyright Office Registration Portal.
Know your rights as an author. As the author of a work, you are the exclusive copyright holder unless or until you transfer your rights.
Copyright grants you the exclusive rights to...
To post your work on the web page (sometimes referred to as “self-archiving”), in a discipline archive (such as PubMed Central, or arXiv, or in an institutional repository (Profiles is Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's for faculty only).
Know your rights under Fair Use, the TEACH Act, "public domain," and permissions to use copyrighted work. Copyright protection exists from the time the work is created in a fixed, tangible form of expression. However, registering a work for copyright affords the owner additional legal rights. You can register a work through the Copyright Clearance Center or directly with the U.S. Copyright Office.
The author of the original works owns the copyright unless the work was for hire and then the employer owns the copyright.
What you could lose if you sign away your rights?
The right to:
Science Commons Author Addendum
Your use of other resources in your research must be acknowledged and referenced. There are many citation styles to choose from. Please see our Scholarly Writing & Citing guide for examples.
The Four Factors of Fair Use
The four factors judges consider are:
Any determination of Fair Use must take all FOUR factors into consideration.
1. Determine whether permission is needed.
2. Identify the copyright owner.
3. Request permission.
4. Keep good records of all your licensing information and correspondence, even your unanswered efforts to secure permission to reuse copyrighted material.
A critical part of the research process is keeping track of where you found a particular idea, picture, fact, or quote so you can properly cite it in your work according to an accepted style. Reference management software programs are tools to help you do this easily and efficiently. The Carpenter Library offers training and support on EndNote and Zotero.
Read this review to see which one is best for you.
Fair Use Checklists
Columbia University Libraries Copyright Advisory Services
Cornell Copyright Information Center
University of Chicago Copyright Information Center
Courses, Tutorials, & Resource Centers
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