Copyright
Provides a general introduction to copyright, fair use, copyright ownership, copyright for instructors, and useful resources.
Public Domain
What is the Public Domain?
The public domain refers to all material that is not under copyright protection, and can therefore be used freely and without restriction. This includes works that have exceeded the duration of copyright, works produced by federal or state governments, and works that have been dedicated to the public domain by their creators.
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Duke University's Center for the Study of the Public DomainThe Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain provides annual updates and useful resources for content entering the public domain each year on January 1.
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Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United StatesOne of the best and most comprehensive resources for determining whether a work may be in the public domain, by Peter B. Hirtle at Cornell University.
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How Can I Use Copyright-Free Works (in the Public Domain)?Excellent set of questions to ask to determine whether a work is in the public domain.
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State Copyright Resource Center-Harvard LibraryThe guide provides a general, and necessarily limited, discussion of various state laws, regulations, and cases. For each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, we've tried to identify the relevant laws and legal sources that affect the copyright status of government documents.
Creative Commons
What are Creative Commons Licenses?
Creative Commons licenses are a set of pre-defined copyright licenses, that provide an easy and effective way for creators to provide access to their work. The creative commons licenses are proven, legally valid copyright licenses that provide a blanket license to users, provided they follow the rules of the license (more details on the types of CC licenses can be found below). These licenses work as part of the existing ecosystem of copyright law, and do not interfere with fair use or other copyright exceptions, or the ability to ask for permission from the creator of a work.
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About Creative Commons LicensesCreative Commons enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. Our free, easy-to-use copyright licenses provide a simple, standardized way to give the public permission to share and use your creative work — on conditions of your choice.
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Introduction to Creative Commons LicensesThe short tutorial covers Creative Commons is, the elements that make up CC licenses and how they can be applied to your work. The tutorial will finish with a short quiz, which will involve matching resources with the most suitable license to test your knowledge.
Music Copyright
Music presents a number of unique copyright issues - here are some resources that deal specifically with copyright and music.
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Music Copyright Tutorials - Playlist3 video tutorials (the first of which is embedded above) created by the College of William & Mary Music Library
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What Musicians Should Know about CopyrightOverview from the US Copyright Office
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Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions (pdf)Circular 50 from the U.S. Copyright Office
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Copyright Registration for Sound Recordings (pdf)Circular 56 from the U.S. Copyright Office.
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Music Modernization Act - U.S. Copyright OfficeOverview of the 3 components of the Music Modernization Act from the U.S. Copyright Office
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Music & CopyrightGreat overview of music copyright from Washington State University.
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Best Practices in the Fair Use of Copyrighted Material in Music Scholarship (PDF)Developed by the American Musicological Society.
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Copyright 101 for ConductorsFrom the American Choral Directors Association, by Rebecca Lord and Nate Wise.
More Copyright Resources
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
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The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (pdf)A summary from the U.S. Copyright Office
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Overview of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for Institutions of Higher EducationBrief posted by ASU's Office of General Counsel.
Licenses
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Rights StatementsRightsStatements.org provides a set of standardized rights statements that can be used to communicate the copyright and re-use status of digital objects to the public. Our rights statements are supported by major aggregation platforms such as the Digital Public Library of America and Europeana.
Video
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Academic Libraries Video TrustThis database captures the search efforts for current distribution of VHS video titles eligible for duplication under Section 108 of U.S. Copyright law.
Software
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Copyright Guide for Scientific SoftwareToday, science involves software. And although many scientists understand that their work stands on the shoulders of others, they may not know how copyright affects their rights to use others' software, or how they can publish their software tools so others can use or cite it. The Copyright Guide to Scientific Software, a joint project of the Harvard Cyberlaw Clinic and the Center for Astrophysics, in association with the Software Preservation Network, aims to fill that gap, by providing clear, easy-to-read answers to common questions about how scientific software and copyright interact.
Copyright and Accessibility
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Copyright and AccessibilityThis guide from Ohio State University discusses the copyright exceptions that enable the creation of accessible learning resources.
Copyright Education
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Copyright Urban Legends (pdf)by Brandon Butler, former Director of Public Policy Initiatives, ARL.
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Copyfraud and Classroom Performance Rights: Two Common Bogus Copyright Claims (pdf)by Brandon Butler, former Director of Public Policy Initiatives, ARL
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Copyright for Educators and LibrariansFree Coursera online class with an excellent team of instructors. Learn at your own pace.
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Copyright for MultimediaFree online course on copyright, focusing on special considerations for film, music, images and data.
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Teaching CopyrightA teaching curriculum created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation to help teachers educate their students about copyright.
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Copyright Crash Course - University of Texas LibrariesThe Copyright Crash Course was created by Georgia Harper and is currently maintained by UT Libraries. It is arranged into sections that allow users to explore certain areas of copyright law individually or as a group.
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Building Legal Literacies for Text Data MiningThis book explores the legal literacies covered during the virtual Building Legal Literacies for Text Data Mining Institute, including copyright (both U.S. and international law), technological protection measures, privacy, and ethical considerations.
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Owning and Using Scholarship: An IP Handbook for Teachers and ResearchersFree e-book by Kevin J. Smith, with specific sections on owning and using copyright works in various teaching scenarios.
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Open Copyright Education Advisory Network (OCEAN) Resource LibraryOCEAN provides events, education, and resources supporting library professionals in building expertise in copyright.
Other Intellectual Property Resources
While this guide focuses on copyright, there are two other forms of intellectual property protection:
- Patents - protection that applies to new inventions to grant to the inventor the exclusive right to "exclude others from making, using, offering for sale or selling" their invention in the United States. The term for a new patent is 20 years.
- Trademarks - protection that applies to a word, name, symbol, or device that is used in trade goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others. A "servicemark" is the same except that it identifies the source of a service rather than a product (like "FedEx").
ASU Library is now designated as a U.S. Patent and Trademark Resource Center. Whether you are inventing something new or safeguarding your brand, our expert librarians are here to help. We can help get you started on patent and trademark searches, explain application processes and connect you with local patent attorneys.
Here are some resources to help you get started.
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United States Patent and Trademark OfficeYour one stop shop for all patent and trademark information in the United States.
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What is Intellectual Property - World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)Training information from the World Intellectual Property Office.
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What some companies get wrong about trademarksA very simple explanation about trademarks.
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What Are Patents, Trademarks, Servicemarks, and Copyrights? - from the USPTOAn overview of the differences between patents, trademarks, and copyright from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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ASU Library Patents Library GuideA guide to help ASU students find patent information including what is a patent, the different sections of a patent, how to do a prior art search, where to find statistics and other sources of patent information.
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ASU Library Trademarks Library GuideA guide to finding information on trademarks such as fees, forms, terms and searching techniques for both U.S. and International trademarks.