Copyright and Fair Use Policy

Copyright is the ownership and control of the intellectual property in original works of authorship. The laws of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) provide protection to the owner of copyright. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to, and to authorize others to: reproduce in copies, prepare derivative works, distribute copies, perform publicly, and display publicly the copyrighted work.

Copyright law governs any print or non-print reproduction of copyrighted material. It is illegal for anyone to violate any of the rights provided by the copyright law to the owner of copyright. One major limitation, however, is the doctrine of "fair use". If the use of copyrighted materials falls under the "fair use" exception, such an exception will depend upon these four factors: purpose of the use, nature of the work, amount of copying, and effect of copying on the potential value of the work.  Another limitation can be a "compulsory license" which permits limited uses of copyrighted works in return for the payment of fees or royalties.

Faculty, staff, and students of the College must comply with the provisions of the state and federal intellectual property laws such as the Copyright Act. Procedures for obtaining copyright permissions for course materials have been established and should be followed. Copies of this procedure and other information explaining the Copyright Act as it pertains to copying both course materials and materials for personal use are available in campus libraries and at these resources:

United States Copyright Office
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
The Teach Act

Reporting Copyright Infringement

Under direction of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the designated agent of the college to receive notice of alleged copyright infringement is: 

Head of Library Services
Meadows Library
P.O. Box 227
Gadsden AL 35902-0227
Telephone: (256)549-8410
Fax: (256)549-8404

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