Copyright is a difficult and changing concept as more of our work (text, photos, videos, music, etc.) appears in digital form and available to a wider audience than just our campus. There is a common belief that because we are a university and a nonprofit that everything we do falls under fair use. That is not the case.
Copyright is covered under university policy #76. There are numerous resources, including a Copyright Team available to the campus to help navigate this complex path.
The Library
The Parkside Library has a copyright librarian who can help with a number of questions. In addition, the Library website has a number of resources including a Fair Use Evaluator. The site has sources for images, videos, music, and more that can be used by Parkside staff.
The widespread use of distance education has complicated copyright law even more. As professors create materials for online access using copyrighted images and videos, the law changes. What may be Fair Use in a brick and mortar classroom may not be in a digital online holding space. The copyright librarian can help with questions concerning distance education materials.
University Relations
For help answering copyright questions that deal with your class, organization, or event, contact University Relations. The rules concerning promotion are much stricter than those for a classroom situation. University Relations can help find licensed and public domain images, music and video clips, or help you create your own.
Student Activities
Student Activities can help answers about showing films and TV shows on campus. They deal with a number of licensed resources including Swank and HBO.
Basic Rules of Thumb
- If in doubt, ask permission.
- You can't right click on an image from the Internet and "save image as" for use in printed materials or on the university website.
- Follow licensing agreements.
- Do not email articles; email links to the article location.
- News articles relevant to a classroom situation may fall under fair use, building that news article into your course curriculum for more than one semester requires permission.
- Never reproduce materials with a watermark.
- Citing or giving attribution to the original work does not count in publicity materials.
Sources for Content
Free stock images sources (check terms of use)
- ArtStor Database (image database through the library)
- Creative Commons (images, music streaming video and more made available by the creator)
- Films on Demand (educational video and video clips)
- unsplash.com
Paid stock image sources (discuss options with University Relations)
- istockphoto.com
- Shutterstock.com
- 123rf.com
- Gettyimages.com
- dreamstime.com
- Film Licensing
- Swank
- HBO