Introduction

Reproduction of copyrighted material, without prior permission of the copyright owner, particularly in an educational setting, is an issue of concern for the academic community. Unfortunately, the impropriety of much unauthorized copying is all too often overlooked by users in an educational setting.

Although copying all or part of a work without obtaining permission may appear to be an easy and convenient solution to an immediate problem, such unauthorized copying can frequently violate the rights of the author or publisher of the copyrighted work, and be directly contrary to the academic mission to teach respect for ideas and for the intellectual property that expresses those ideas.

Without understanding the copyright law, including elements such as the doctrine of "Fair Use" and its application and limitations in the educational setting, Faculty members, copy centers, College stores, universities and Colleges themselves, and others will be at risk for engaging in illegal photocopying.

This booklet is intended to aid you in conforming to the requirements of U.S. copyright law by providing an easy-to-understand guide. This guide, in question and answer format, presents a current overview of relevant sections of the amended Copyright Act of 1976, including:

• The requirements for protection of copyrighted works from unrestricted copying;
• The doctrine of "Fair Use" and its limitations;
• The reasons for College stores to be indemnified against liability for copyright infringement, and the effects of such indemnities;
• And procedures on how to obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted material.

It is the goal of this booklet, cosponsored by the National Association of College Stores and the Association of American Publishers, and endorsed by the Association of American University Presses, to clarify the issues and present information and procedures that will result in greater understanding of the rules governing copyrighted works and facilitate the processing of photocopy requests.