Copyright & Fair Use

Copyright

The Library works to educate and promote lawful uses of copyrighted works by the PSU Community. Copyright is a great concern for scholarship, publishing and teaching. Copyright law stipulates the rights and conditions authors enjoy over their works and how others may use them.

At PSU, there are several policies to consider:

For consideration of using material in face to face, hybrid, and online courses:

The Library and subject librarians are not qualified to provide legal advice, but can help you navigate copyright resources.

Fair Use

Fair Use doctrine, section 107 of copyright law, outlines four areas of consideration that may allow for copyrighted works to be used without a license:

  1. Purpose and character of use
  2. Nature of the copyrighted work
  3. Amount of work used
  4. Effect on the market

These considerations are weighed on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions about the applicability of fair use, please consult with your subject librarian. The Library and subject librarians are not qualified to provide legal advice, but can help you navigate copyright resources.