Home - Copyright - LibGuides at Roger Williams University

Introductory Overview

Copyright is an issue regularly encountered by students and faculty at academic institutions, whether they realize it or not. It is an important consideration for libraries, especially in the areas of Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery, Electronic Reserves, and Preservation, including Digitization efforts. Indeed, many library users face copyright issues when they make photocopies of library material. The purpose of this guide is to cover aspects of copyright as it applies to educational and scholarly activities. Roger Williams University Libraries are committted to honoring copyright law to assist University faculty, staff, students and affliates in the legal use of protected information. The materials and links accessible from these pages are intended to provide users with an overview of copyright law and answers to frequently asked questions. The Library does not provide legal advice.

What is Copyright?

Protects "original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works fixed in any tangible means of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced or otherwise communicated directly or with the aid of a machine or device."

Excerpt from U.S. Copyright Act, U.S. Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Sect. 102