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Writing Basics and Resources: Copyright Basics

Copyright Basics

Frequently Asked Questions About Copyright

Public Domain Slider

The Public Domain slider is a tool to help determine the copyright status of a work that is first published in the United States.

  Alternatives to Illegal Downloading

Uploading or downloading copyrighted works without the permission of the copyright owner is a violation of TCTC policy and U.S. law.

Legal alternatives to unauthorized downloading link:

Copyright Exceptions: Section 108 Spinner

Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Code allows libraries & archives, under certain circumstances, to make reproductions of copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder.

Useful Copyright Links

Using Images and copyright issues

Most online images can be used for class papers, class presentations, and even websites under the educational fair use policy, as long as they are only available to your own educational community. "Fair Use" allows scholars, students, teachers, and others to use works that are still in copyright protection for the purpose of education and criticism. This does not mean that any use is fair as long as it is for educational purposes, but education is specifically mentioned as a favored purpose. 

Here is a link to Brown University Library's guide for images and copyright:

For more info, here is a link to the MIT Libraries' guide for images and fair use:

Fair Use

Fair Use Evaluator

The Fair Use Evaluator is an online tool that can help users understand how to determine if the use of a protected work is a “fair use.”

Getting Permission