Copyright/Licensing

Copyright protection exists from the moment a work is created in a fixed, tangible form of expression. That copyright becomes the property of the creator of the work or those deriving the creator’s rights.

Fair use is a concept that recognizes that certain uses of copyright-protected works do not require permission from the copyright holder or its agent. Fair use permits the reproduction of a small portion of material without permission but only under very limited circumstances.

Public domain refers to materials that are not protected by copyright. The public owns these works. Anyone can use public domain materials but no one can own them.  In general, worked published after 1977 will not fall into the public domain until 70 years after the death of author, or, for corporate works, anonymous works, or works for hire, 95 years from the date of publication or 120 years from the date of creation, whichever expires first.

Creative Commons copyright licenses give the creator of a work the option of sharing the materials. There are different levels of Creative Commons licenses that allow creators to tailor how others use their works.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) address issues unique to digital copyright. The DMCA contain provisions that forbid the circumvention of digital protections. The anti-circumvention provisions prohibit the unauthorized circumvention of technological measures which control access to or restrict the use of a copyright-protected work. Copyright management information includes the title of a work, the name of the author or copyright holder and other identifying information. Intentionally removing or altering such information violates a provision of the DMCA.

Woman's Collection materials may not be used without permission. For further information, please contact us at womansc@twu.edu.