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Copyright Educational Materials

Introduction

The is a federal law that provides copyright protection in the United States for original works of authorship.

Copyright is actually a bundle of exclusive rights or protection in an original work that is granted to the copyright holder by the government.

Copyright protection arises in original works of authorship that are 鈥渇ixed in any tangible medium of expression鈥 (e.g., written or typed on paper, stored in a computer, recorded in an audio or video format, etc.).

Works of authorship include the following categories:

  1. literary works;
  2. musical works, including any accompanying words;
  3. dramatic works, including any accompanying music;
  4. pantomimes and choreographic works;
  5. pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;
  6. motion pictures and other audiovisual works;
  7. sound recordings; and
  8. architectural works.

Infringement, Discipline and Penalties

Copyright infringement is a violation of law that carries substantial penalties for the infringer. The general minimum statutory penalty is $750 per act of infringement. Infringement need not even be willful, but penalties for willful infringement are more severe at up to $150,000 per act of infringement. Criminal liability and even prison sentences of up to 5 years may be imposed on first time offenders who willfully infringe a copyright 鈥渇or purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain.鈥 In addition to being illegal, copyright infringement is a violation of University policy and can result in the imposition of University discipline up to and including dismissal for faculty and staff and expulsion for students.

What is Copyright? - Exclusive Rights of Copyright Holder

Section 106 of the Copyright Act enumerates the exclusive rights of copyright holders. 鈥淪ubject to certain exceptions, 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 [see definition below] 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.

  1. to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords;
  2. to prepare derivative works [see definition below] 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.鈥

Compilations and Derivative Works

Section 103 of the Copyright Act provides limitations on copyright protection for compilations and derivative works. Section 101 of the Copyright Act defines compilations and derivative works and other important terms.

A 鈥渃ompilation鈥 is a work formed by the collection and assembling of preexisting materials or of data that are selected, coordinated, or arranged in such a way that the resulting work as a whole constitutes an original work of authorship. The term 鈥渃ompilation鈥 includes collective works.

A 鈥渄erivative work鈥 is a work based upon one or more preexisting works, such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A work consisting of editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications, which, as a whole, represent an original work of authorship, is a 鈥渄erivative work鈥.

Persons with Disabilities

Section 121 of the Copyright Act provides limitations on exclusive rights regarding the reproduction of copyrighted works for people with disabilities. Students, faculty or staff with disabilities or seeking to assist those with disabilities may wish to consult with the Office of Disability Services.

Additional Resources

For a more detailed discussion of copyright, visit these websites:

For more information on the TEACH Act, see an article written by Kenneth Crews, Director, Copyright Management Center, Indiana University School off Law-Indianapolis.

Resources

Training Materials

* teach_act_handout.pdf
Teach Act Handout
* copyright_and_teachact.ppt
Copyright and the Teach Act

Outside Resources

Contact

Filing a Course Pack

Undergraduate & Graduate (non-Law School)
Vince Perkins, Assistant Director for Information Products & Services, University Shop
(610) 519-5019

Law School
Amy Spare, (she/her) Associate Director for Law Library Services & Legal Research Instructor, (610) 519-7188, spare@law.villanova.edu

Information on Course Reserves

Falvey Library regularly assists faculty members in placing print copies of copyrighted documents on reserve in the library and placing electronic copies of copyrighted documents on reserve on the instructor's WebCT course. In addition to copyright issues related to library reserve items, there may also be copyright compliance issues pertinent to copying or digital conversion of materials in the collection for research or instructional purposes. For information on , you can consult with Nancy Foasberg (610) 519-5075. Advice provided by the library in these areas is limited to questions of policy and does not constitute legal advice.

棉花糖直播 Law School Library supports law faculty teaching by assisting with identifying course materials, providing links for Blackboard and obtaining permissions for print course packets. Faculty are responsible for selecting materials and making fair use determinations consistent with University policy. Please contact Liaison Law Librarian or reference@law.villanova.edu for assistance.

For technical questions regarding posting on Blackboard/WebCT Vista, contact the Help Desk at (610) 519-7777.