Copyright and Fair Use

What items can I add to my class?

                                                                                                                                                                                          A Red Push Pin

  • Materials which are in the public domain  
  • Materials for which the use can be identified as "fair use"  
  • Materials licensed as Open Access  (Creative commons, etc.)                                                             
  • Links to items held in the libraries' or Blackboard electronic collections
  • Items that or linked or which have been purchased for course reserve through the libraries
  • Works for which you have received permission from the rights holder

Issues with Using Images

Unless you have created the image, adding images to your classroom materials can be tricky.

In general, images

  • Are owned by the creator of the image
  • May be approved for use in a publication without transferring ownership rights
  • Are often misappropriated in websites and are copied without copyright permissions
  • May have several layers of ownership - a 17th century painting will no longer be in copyright; however, a particular photo of the painting may be copyrighted

Regarding textbook images and charts

  • Check to see if there are usable images on your textbook's website.
  • Do not reproduce images unless permission is clearly stated in the textbook.
  • Do not use materials from a textbook that is no longer used in your class.

Images available from Collections

Check the sites listed here for details of whether you can link or copy images into your class.

Free Images available Online

Many images on the web are under copyright. Many are also misappropriated and therefore you are unable to assume that the image copyright belongs to the webpage owner.

Luckily, Creative Commons licenses may apply to images. Use search engines that allow a search of open licenses or which is known to contain only copyright-free images.

Buying a license for a copyrighted Image

You can buy images from a number of sites on the web. This is a sampling of sites offering the ability to purchase images for reuse. To find others, search the internet for "royalty free images"