Basics & Resources - Copyright & Fair Use - LibGuides at Panola College

Copyright at Panola College

The following information is to provide the Panola College community with a basic understanding of copyright law and fair use. It is everyone's responsibility to stay up to date on current copyright law and legislation and their effect on our classrooms and research.

Material presented here is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Basic Copyright Principles

What is Copyright?

Copyright is a Federal Law, Title 17, U.S. Code, that provides: “a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors or “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.” The Copyright Revision Act of 1976 provides most of the current laws we follow today.

What does it do for you?

Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act gives the owner of a work, the following rights:

To display the work publicly
To reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords
To prepare derivative works based upon the work
To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the pubic by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental lease or lending
To perform the work publicly by means of a digital-audio transmission

Since 1989 a work is protected as soon as it is created. Notice is no longer required, nor is registration. You cannot copyright ideas, facts, titles, names, short phrases or blank forms.

Works in the public domain may be freely used.

The U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress, provides informational brochures on the copyright law and how it applies to various formats, i.e. music, art, etc.

Copyright Law Resources

Distance Education and the TEACH Act

General Copyright Information

U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress
Ten Myths About Copyright Explained
When works pass into the public domain
Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Code Information
Public Domain Information
Copyright Web Site
Copyright Clearance Center
Copyright on Campus

Take a crash course in copyright law and its effect on
academic institutions with this 6-minute educational video.
Campus Copyright Rights and Responsibilities
A basic guide to policy considerations.
Copyright Genie
The Copyright Genie was created with the support of the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy. This tool can help you determine the exact copyright term for unpublished works and works first published in the US, or simultaneously in the US and abroad. There are a couple categories of works that it does not cover (e.g. pre-72 recordings, architectural works, etc.). The tool relies on the information provided by the user and then provides the copyright duration based on that information.
Know Your Copy Rights Using Copyrighted Works in in Academic Settings
This site looks at copyright from the perspectives of all key academic stakeholders and suggests what each group can do to enhance their copyright practices and advance academic interests.
Advertising: What is a Copyright, Patent, and Trademark? by Joel Miller
When a person develops an original idea or creation, he or she will want to be identified as its creator. This is important because it offers protection against others who may claim to have thought of, written or made the item. Identifying oneself as the original creator or founder will ensure that the proper credit, recognition, and compensation are received. Ideally, this should be done before the finished product is advertised or made available to the public. In order to do this, a person will want to look into copyrights, patents, and trademarks for their invention or creation. It is important to understand what type of protection is necessary and why.