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Welcome

US flag What is copyright and how is it governed in US law?

First things first!

Watch this excellent short Copyright Basics video from the Copyright Clearance Center or check out the US Government's short factsheet on copyright basics. It covers the basics and gives an introduction to concepts such as fair use.

Before we go into more detail, perhaps you should consider whether the resource you want to use is covered by copyright law. The Copyright Genie can't grant copyright wishes, but it can take the magic out of copyright by:

  • Helping you find out if a work is covered by U.S. copyright
  • Calculating its terms of protection, and
  • Collecting and publishing the results (as a PDF) to save for your records.

 Creative Commons, Some Rights Reserved © 2012 Michael Brewer & ALA Office for Information Technology Policy