Copyright Guidelines

Members of the Valley City State University community, including faculty, students and staff, often have occasion to use copyrighted material in connection with their teaching, classroom assignments or research. The purpose of this guide is to promote the understanding of and compliance with applicable provisions of copyright law. It provides practical information in order to encourage and promote the lawful use of copyright protected materials.

This guide is also intended to support compliance with VCSU's V480.05 Copyright Guidelines and V530.01 Academic Integrity Policies.

                                                         *This guide has been adapted, with permission, from a Copyright LibGuide at Clemson University.

The U.S. Copyright Act (title 17 of the U.S. Code) is the federal statute that describes copyright law in the United States. Copyright protection applies to original works of authorship set in a tangible medium. Original works may include literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural and audiovisual creations. A tangible medium may include anything from paper to hard drives and other electronic memory devices, the web, film, software, architectural blueprints etc.

Copyright protection is designed to give creators of original creative works the right to be compensated when others use their works in particular ways. It grants copyright holders with exclusive rights to the reproduction, adaptation (preparation of derivative works such as a translation or adaptation of a movie from a book), publication, performance and display of the work publicly. Today, copyright protection is automatic, so no registration, use of the copyright symbol, or notice is required. However, use of the copyright symbol is recommended because it reminds the public that the work is protected. Copyright registration is required before a lawsuit for copyright infringement can be filed. If the copyright is timely registered, the copyright owner can also recover statutory damages and costs and attorney fees which can be significant in an infringement lawsuit.