Copyright, Plagiarism, Fair Use and Public Domain
Some basic information about Copyright, Plagiarism, Fair Use and Public Domain.
I am not a lawyer. I encourage you to do full research on this subject.
Copyright, Plagiarism, Fair Use and Public Domain
Copyright – portions copied from the web page
copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html
“Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.”
“What is copyright infringement? “
www.copyright.gov/help/faq-definitions.html
“As a general matter, copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.”
Also see:
Copyright Basics
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf
Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians
www.copyright.gov/circs/circ21.pdf
Plagiarism
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill defines plagiarism as “the deliberate or reckless representation of another’s words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own without attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise.”
More information can be found here:
writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/plagiarism
grammarly.com is a proofreader and plagiarism checker which is free for Chrome, Safari and Firefox.
Fair Use – portions copied from the web page
copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html
“Fair use is a legal doctrine that promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances.
(1) Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
(3) Amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
(4) Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work”
Derivative Works – portions copied from the web page
copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf
“A derivative work is a work based on or derived from one or more already existing works. Common derivative works include translations, musical arrangements, motion picture versions of literary material or plays, art reproductions, abridgments, and condensations of preexisting works.
“To be copyrightable, a derivative work must incorporate some or all of a preexisting “work” and add new original copyrightable authorship to that work.
“The following are examples of the many different types of derivative works:
• A translation of an novel written in English into another language
• A revision of a previously published book
• A sculpture based on a drawing
• A drawing based on a photograph
• A lithograph based on a painting
• A drama about John Doe based on the letters and journal entries of John Doe
• A musical arrangement of a preexisting musical work
• A new version of an existing computer program
• An adaptation of a dramatic work
• A revision of a website”
Public Domain
www.copyright.gov/help/faq-definitions.html
“A work of authorship is in the “public domain” if it is no longer under copyright protection or if it failed to meet the requirements for copyright protection. Works in the public domain may be used freely without the permission of the former copyright owner.”