Module 5: Citing Information

Copyright and Fair Use

Any original work, including books, essays, web pages and websites, songs, pictures, and videos, is automatically protected by copyright law, even if it isn't registered with the U.S. Copyright Office or labeled with the copyright symbol. The work must be fixed in tangible form, which means it must be stored on something physical, such as paper, canvas, a CD, or other storage device. You, as a college student, are a copyright owner when you write an original work for class or for personal use.

Faculty and students have "fair use" rights to use copyright-protected works for educational activities. The goal of fair use is to enable teachers, scholars, and students to use copyrighted materials for teaching, scholarship, and research, balancing those needs with respect for the rights of copyright holders. Fair Use guidelines are very specific as to what and how much of a work you can use. See the LSSC Libraries' Fair Use Guidelines for details.