Copyright

Copyright is a law that gives the owner of a work – such as a book, movie, picture, song, or website – the right to say how other people can use it. Copyright laws make it easier for authors to make money by selling their works. It is one part of a group of laws about intellectual property, the other parts being trademark and patent law.

Copyright protects authors from being re-copied without permission and/or re-copied for commercial purpose. With copyright, a work can only be copied if the owner gives permission. If someone copies a work without permission, the owner can say they infringed their copyright. When this happens, the owner may sue for the amount that should have been paid. Most cases are handled by civil law. In more serious cases, a person who copies a work that is protected under copyright could be arrested, fined, or even go to prison. Commonly, the copyright law will protect authors and their heirs from 50 to 100 years since the first day of the authors death.

The College requires all individuals to comply with all local, state, federal, and international copyright laws, along with college policies regarding the use of copyrighted materials. Any violation including peer to peer file sharing, and illegal downloading or unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials using the school’s information technology system, may result in disciplinary action and/or legal liability.

Penalties for violation of Federal copyright laws are summarized under the Copyright Infringement Policies & Sanctions disclosure of the Consumer Information webpage. The college’s complete Copyright policy (600.611) can be found on the colleges Plans, Policies, & Procedures webpage. The college’s Intellectual Property, Creative Works, and Copyrights policy (300.327) can also be found there.

For more information, visit the U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov) especially their FAQ’s at www.copyright.gov/help/faq. Copyright law of the United States is found in the Copyright Act, Title 17 of the United States Code, sections 504 and 505. Civil and criminal penalties for violations of federal copyright laws are found in section 106.