Copyright & Plagiarism   

Copyright Issues 
    General  
    Fair Use  
    Reserve

Plagiarism
    Coming soon  
     
     

The Reserve Collection is considered an extension of the classroom, so all fair use rights apply. Classroom teachers lawfully are able to make multiple copies of articles (up to six from various periodicals) or chapters (1-2) from books for classroom use. 

Be aware: All photocopied items in the reserve collection must include copyright information or contain an added copyright notice. 

Reserve v. Archives

TSection 107 of Title 17, USC, does not specify how long a copy may be retained. But after the 1994 decision in the case of the American Geophysical Union v. Texaco, Inc., many libraries have made it a policy to keep photocopied items on reserve for only one semester before seeking permission from the copyright holder. It is feared that holding copies indefinitely could be seen as an archival function, thus exceeding fair use. 

However, if an instructor wishes to keep copies of articles on reserve for longer than a semester, it is possible to obtain permission (usually for a small fee) from organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center.

Reserve Guidelines

• All copies of articles placed on reserve shall contain full bibliographic information, i.e. article title, author(s) name(s), periodical title, volume number, issue number and date of issue.
• All copies of articles placed on reserve shall show a notice of copyright, i.e. The information in this article is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17 USC). This copy is made for educational purposes only.
• Articles placed on reserve will be returned to faculty members after one semester unless permission is acquired from the copyright holder. . 

Electronic Reserves

Electronic reserves involve all of the issues of print reserves (Section 107) and also at least one of the performance rights (Section 110) of existing copyright law. The use of electronic reserves are not an issue within the library building, but becomes one when libraries attempt to provide access to audiovisual and/or multimedia materials from remote locations. 

Some general thoughts

• Publishers are not comfortable with electronic copies placed on reserve because they are so easily copied.
• Copyright law is medium-neutral, so fair use should apply equally.
• Libraries should use all possible measures to ensure protection from unauthorized users. 

Here at Sacramento City College, we have the ability to provide information through a proxy server. Therefore, when we make to move toward electronic resources, we will be able to restrict access to authorized users only. 

More Resources

• Copyright Considerations in Distance Education and Technology-Mediated Instruction
• New Copyright law for Distance Education (TEACH act)(PDF)
• Guide to the DMCA
• Download Adobe PDF Reader

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Last update 08/18/2009 Sue Chen chens@scc.losrios.edu