Copyright information

Union Presbyterian Seminary Copyright Documents

• Resources

  • The UPSem Copyright Policy and related documents are posted here for your use.

    UPSem Copyright Policy (2020) (pdf)

    Fair Use Checklist (2020) (pdf)

    In addition to these policy resources, the Instructional Resource Center maintains a list of links to copyright-free and public domain images and music.

• Official Laws and Organizationally-Approved Guidelines

  • Below you will find links to the actual statutes/guidelines adopted into US law. In addition to the statutes themselves, links can be found below each statute that are helpful in interpreting these laws.

    United States Copyright Act of 1976
    (for help with reading this document, see Copyright Vocabulary)

    Guidelines for Classroom Copying in Not-For-Profit Educational Institutions with Respect to Books and Periodicals (1976)

    Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (Summary)

    TEACH Act of 2002 (expands performance/display of media in distance education)

• Copyright Exemptions

  • • Fair Use
    • Understanding Fair Use
    • Fair Use Guidelines for Electronic Media (developed by CONFU)
    • Face to Face Teaching with Videos
    • Implications for Distance Education under the TEACH Act

• Best Practices

  • • Using Course Management Systems
    • Using E-Reserves
    • Interlibrary Loan

• Getting Permission

  • • Electronically : Copyright Clearance Center
    • In Writing : A sample letter requesting permission
    • Information about other rights management groups can be found

• Training Resources

  • • Brigham Young University's multi-media Copyright Tutorial
    • The outstanding Crash Course in Copyright developed by the University of Texas system provides an enormous amount of helpful information for students and faculty
    • North Carolina State University's Tutorial : Using Copyrighted Works
    • Copyright Clearance Center's Campus Guide to Copyright Compliance for Academic Institutions
    • Wikipedia's Public Domain Image Resources
    • Copyright Information Center tutorials from Cornell University; includes Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
    • When US Works Pass Into the Public Domain
    • Columbia University Copyright Advisory Office
    • Stanford University's Copyright and Fair Use Center

• Copyright Policy

  • Listed below are links to several copyright policies that demonstrate the range of interpretation of copyright law today.

    • An excellent example of a copyright policy written in understandable English can be found at Wellesley College
    • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Library copyright policy
    • Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary copyright policy
    • Duke University Library copyright guidelines for electronic course content
    • Oberlin Guide to developing a copyright policy for liberal-arts colleges