Copyright & Fair Use
Copyright laws protect original creations from being used by others without permission. Almost everything in print or online is protected by copyright, including books, articles, photographs, artwork, videos, music and more.
In the United States copyrights are given automatically and give the creator exclusive rights to decide if or how others may use or distribute their works.
The information here is a brief overview. For more information on copyright, refer to:
Using Copyrighted Works
You will frequently refer to copyrighted works while doing scholarly research. Keep the following in mind to avoid copyright infringement.
Cite Sources
Always cite the original source when you use someone else’s ideas, words, images, or data. Citations give credit to creators and help you avoid plagiarism. We provide citation guides with examples for major citation styles. Learn more plagiarism and academic integrity at UNE.
Fair Use
There are times when you are allowed to reproduce a portion of copyrighted materials without express permission, including for personal and educational use. This is known as fair use. Use our Fair Use Checklist [PDF] to help decide if your use is fair. You still need to cite the work wherever you incorporate it into your own.
Sharing Resources
When sharing articles, book chapters, or other copyrighted materials with others, provide a link to the original source whenever possible. Sharing PDFs or copies may violate copyright law or our subscription license agreements.
Ask for Permission
If you aren’t sure whether a work is copyrighted, assume that it is. If you don’t think you have a case for fair use, contact the work’s creator to request permission to use it. How to find a copyright holder .
The Public Domain
Some works are in the public domain, which means anyone can use them without requesting permission. Works may enter the public domain when:
- Copyright expires. Use this chart by Peter Hirtle at Cornell University to help determine if older works are in the public domain.
- A creator makes their work available for reuse, such as through a Creative Commons license. These licenses allow others to use, share, or adapt a work under specific conditions.
You still need to cite the source so readers can identify the original work
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is challenging established copyright rules around issues of authorship and fair use, and this legal area is evolving rapidly.
AI and Copyright
Current copyright laws generally require human authorship. In the United States content generated entirely by AI is not considered eligible for copyright protection. For more guidance see Copyright Registration Guidance: Works Containing Material Generated by Artificial Intelligence from the United States Copyright Office.
AI and Fair Use
Fair use considerations apply when uploading copyrighted content to AI tools. Use our Fair Use Checklist [PDF] to help evaluate your use. Courts continue to consider whether training AI systems on copyrighted works constitutes infringement, and the legal landscape is still evolving.
Questions & Help
Contact Scholarly Communications Librarian Sonya Durney. for guidance on copyright, fair use, publishing agreements, and related topics.
