Guides: Copyright: Copyright

Copyright Law (definition)

Copyright law (from Title 17 of the United States Code)

Find out if the work is covered by copyright. https://librarycopyright.net/resources/digitalslider/index.html

https://www.copyright.gov/public-records/

Copyright Law protects "original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression" for a limited period. Copyright protection includes, for instance, the legal right to publish and sell literary, artistic, or musical work, and copyright protects authors, publishers and producers, and the public. Copyright applies both to traditional media (books, records, etc.) and to digital media (electronic journals, web sites, etc.).

Subject to sections 107 through 122, the owner of copyright under this title has the exclusive rights to do and to authorize any of the following:

(1) to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords;

(2) to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work;

(3) to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;

(4) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly;

(5) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly; and

(6) in the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.

Ownership of a copyrighted work includes the right to control the use of that work. Use of such work by others during the term of the copyright requires either permission from the author or reliance on the doctrine of fair use. Failure to do one or the other will expose the user to a claim of copyright infringement for which the law provides remedies including payment of money damages to the copyright owner.

U.S. Copyright Office

Copyright Office: Contact Info
Email or call (1-877-476–0778) the Copyright Office to ask a general copyright question or follow-up on an inquiry/application.

MUSC Policies and Information

How to Copyright Something here at MUSC (download policy)
Information for MUSC faculty, students, staff. See page 10.
MUSC Contacts for Copyright Questions and Claims
MUSC contacts for Copyright Infringement Claims, use of the University’s design, pictures and logos, and Computer Security Incident Reporting.

MUSC copyright disclosure form
- This link opens in a new window
Select this form to disclose creations which may qualify for copyright protection. This includes, but is not limited to, software, apps, webpages, videos and books.

Managing Rights to Your Work

MUSC Addendum to Publication Agreement
Complete and attach this addendum to the standard publisher's agreement to reserve key rights to your work. This has been approved by MUSC legal counsel for use.
SPARC Author Addendum
Traditionally, authors have transferred the copyrights of their work to publishers to get their work in the printed literature. The SPARC Author Addendum is a legal instrument that modifies the publisher's agreement and allows you to keep key rights to your articles.

Who Owns My Work? Asserting and Maintaining Your Copyright.
This presentation discusses how to manage your rights as an author. It covers copyright basics, your rights as an author, and how to think about assigning some rights to a publisher while retaining others for yourself.