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Copyright for Higher Education: Copyright Notices & Statements

Basic information about U.S.C. Title 17 Copyright Law particularly as it relates to higher education.

Notices of Copyright

COPYRIGHT STATEMENTS AND NOTICES

As a further reminder to The Master's University community of the need for copyright compliance here are some statements that may be used where needed:

 

For Duplication Equipment:

“Notice: The copyright law of the United States (Titles 17 U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The person using this equipment is liable for any infringement.”

 

For Course Home pages:

“These materials are made available at this site for the educational purposes of students enrolled in [name of class and professor] at The Master’s University.  The materials are subject to U.S. Copyright law and are not for further reproduction or transmission.”
 
 
U.S. Copyright Notice:
 
A Copyright notice is no longer necessary but it is recommended.

Proper form for notice:

“Copyright [date] by [author/owner]”

   or “© [date] by [author/owner]”

  “℗ [date] by [author/owner]” (phonorecords, i.e. sound recordings)

 The Notice should be Noticeable

 

For International Copyright:

Some foreign countries still require the phrase “All Rights Reserved” but it is not necessary in the US or signatories of the Berne Convention.

See also WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization, which is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation.

 

For Partial Release to the Public Domain:

Copyright owners may release their rights entirely or partially to the public. Many scholars will release their copyrights via a Creative Commons License.

Some will use a simple statement indicating how much and for what purposes the material may be used.  For example,

 © Janet Tillman, 2015 permission is granted for non-profit educational use; any reproduction or modification should include this statement.

 

Institutional Copyright Specialist

Profile Photo
Janet "Miss T." Tillman
Contact:
Robert L. Powell Library
The Master's University
21726 Placerita Canyon. Rd.
Santa Clarita, CA 91321
1.661.362.2201
Website