Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright

Copyright is the protection of the expression of ideas in literary, artistic, and musical works.  In the U.S., "Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression."  Rights are expected to be held without registration but registration may add protection.

For help with copyright, please see information from these sites:

• United States Copyright Office at the Library of Congress - This is where to register a copyright.

• Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices - This is "the governing administrative manual for registrations and recordations issued by the U.S. Copyright Office."

• Copyright Crash Course - Understanding copyright, fair use, and obtaining permission to re-use.  (From the the UT-Austin Libraries.)

• Copyright Restrictions - Basic statement concerning copying of copyrighted material.

• Copyright and Fair Use - from the Stanford University Libraries.

• Copyright Renewal Database - from the Stanford University Libraries.

• Copyright on Campus - guidance from the Copyright Clearance Center to help with college situations.