The Brown University Copyright Ownership and Use Policy establishes the principles, and associated rights and responsibilities on ownership of copyright in works created by Members of the Brown University Community. The complete text of the policy can be accessed here.
Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17 U.S. Code) protects original works, published or not published, that are “fixed in a tangible medium of expression” and can be touched, seen, heard, or read. Works are protected from the moment they are in a fixed format regardless of whether they contain a copyright notice or copyright has been registered.
The copyright owner of a work has the exclusive right to do or authorize any of the following (Title 17 U.S. Code § 106):
It is important to note that the law refers to the copyright owner rather than the author. While authors own the copyright to a work at its inception, in most publication contracts the author surrenders their copyright ownership to the publisher.
Copyright Coverage
Resources for Determining Copyright Status
Items NOT Protected by Copyright
For help determining if your intended use of a work falls under fair use, the library has staff members who can help. Contact us at Fairuse@Brown.edu .
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