Copyright is complex. We can help.
Each copyright situation is different. We encourage you to contact one of our people or departments listed below for help. Doing this will help us understand your copyright needs and provide you with the best library resources within copyright guidelines.
Digitization and Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
We provide limited scans of articles and book chapters, found in our collections or through partner libraries, to UNL students, faculty and staff.
Digitization and ILL
402-472-9568
LibrariesDelivery@unl.edu
Course Reserves and Libraries Course Materials in Canvas
We help instructors obtain physical and digital materials for student use in courses through Course Reserves and Libraries Course Materials in Canvas.
Zach Eden
402-472-9568
LibrariesReserves@unl.edu
Resources for Authors
We help authors understand general copyright, fair use, licensing, permissions, public domain, and other related issues.
Sue Ann Gardner, Professor
402-472-8566
sgardner2@unl.edu
Understanding Copyright & Fair Use
The Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material.
- Most material available electronically, whether from freely accessible websites or from subscription databases, is protected by copyright law, whether or not a statement of copyright is visible on the page being viewed.
- You are liable for any infringement of the copyright law resulting from your reproduction of copyrighted material.
- Electronic products must be used in accordance with specific subscription/license agreements between the University Libraries and vendors.
- The Libraries abide by the federal copyright guidelines set forth by the national Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) and by royalty limitations set forth by publishers for frequent use of newer materials.
We understand that every situation is unique. We are here to assist you in making an informed decision. Contact us for personalized support.
Can I Use It?
You can use a work when your use qualifies as fair use, or in some instructional settings.
Materials Used by Instructors within Courses
Fair use is an exemption in copyright law that allows people to use works protected by copyright without obtaining permission if the use can be considered “fair.” Instructors who want to use copyrighted material in their courses should conduct a fair use analysis by considering four fair use factors:
- the purpose and character of the use
- the nature of the copyrighted work
- the amount and substantiality of the work being used
- the effect of the use on the potential market for or the value of the copyrighted work
See the U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index for additional information about fair use and the four fair use factors.
Open Educational Resources (OER) for Instructors
Open educational resources either
- reside in the public domain
- OR are licensed to permit their free use and repurposing by others.
OER are frequently licensed with Creative Commons licenses which exist to answer the question “What can I do with this work?” See UNL’s OER Guide for more information.
Responsible Use of Electronic Resources Policy
UNL Libraries contracts with vendors and publishers to provide patrons access to thousands of electronic resources (journals, ebooks, databases, and other online materials) costing millions of dollars per year. U.S. copyright law (including provisions for “fair use”) and contractual license agreements govern access to, use of, and reproduction of these resources. Refer to permitted and prohibited uses for general principles for responsible use of electronic resources.
Copyright, Fair Use, and Author Rights General Information
View the resource on the following topic:
Obtaining Permission to Use Copyrighted Material
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Is It Still in Copyright?
View resources on the following topics:
Can I Get It?
The Libraries can provide materials in several different formats to get you a copy of what you need, but there are limitations.
Many of the copyright questions received concern what amount or types of materials are available for UNL Library users. The exact nature of the material and the amount needed will determine how the materials may be provided. The Libraries will first attempt to fulfill any requests with locally held collections, and if that is not possible, we will automatically forward your request to Interlibrary Loan, where it will be requested from other libraries.
Complete Items / Works
- Entire works cannot be digitized or copied, in compliance with U.S. Copyright Law.
- Items will be made available for pickup or delivery as requested by the user.
Book Chapters / Journal Articles / Partial Works
- The digitization option via the Libraries’ catalog allows you to request an electronic copy of journal articles or book chapters of UNL materials.
- The Interlibrary Loan and Delivery services allows you to request scans of journal articles and book chapters from other holding libraries.
- Multiple book chapter requests from a single item may not be able to be filled.
- Please request each article or book chapter separately.
Copyright Review
- Each request will be reviewed for compliance with federal copyright guidelines.
- You will be contacted about requests that we may not be able to fill or if your request(s) may violate copyright guidelines.
- Royalties may be required by publishers for frequent use of newer materials.
Do I Own it?
Basic Copyright Information from the U.S. Copyright Office
View resources on the following topics:
Copyright: The Crash Course
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Protecting, Preserving and Promoting Your Research
View resources on the following topics:
- Preparing for Sharing Your Research: Publishing and Copyright
- Copyright: Preserve, Protect and Promote your Research
Music Copyright
This research guide is designed to be a beginning point for questions on music copyright law. It includes print and online resources owned by our library or available on the web.
Libraries Guide: Music Copyright