{"id":2058,"date":"2016-08-03T11:30:13","date_gmt":"2016-08-03T15:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libraries-test.mit.edu\/scholarly\/?page_id=2058"},"modified":"2025-07-31T15:31:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:31:53","slug":"using-copyrighted-content","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/copyright\/using-copyrighted-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Using copyrighted content"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"\/scholarly\/copyright\/copyright-faq\/\">Copyright<\/a> is a bundle of rights that includes copying, adapting, or sharing someone else\u2019s work. You need permission from the copyright owner to do any of these things, unless fair use\u00a0or another exception applies.<\/p>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Is it covered by copyright?<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/copyright\/copyright-faq\/\">Copyright<\/a> exists as soon as an original work is fixed in a tangible medium (written down, saved to a computer drive, recorded, etc.), but some content is not covered by copyright and can be used freely. This includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Works in the public domain due to copyright expiration. See <a href=\"https:\/\/guides.library.cornell.edu\/copyright\/publicdomain\">this chart<\/a> for copyright expiration in the United States.<\/li>\n<li>Works created by the US federal government, which are in the public domain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/17\/105\">by statute<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Works that have been dedicated into the public domain by their creator, for example by using\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/share-your-work\/public-domain\/cc0\/\">CC0<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Copyright <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Idea%E2%80%93expression_divide\">does not cover ideas and facts<\/a>, only their creative expression. While the threshold for originality is low, if you are only copying factual or conceptual information (for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/fairuse.stanford.edu\/case\/feist-publications-inc-v-rural-telephone-service-co\/\">raw data from a telephone directory<\/a>), copyright may not apply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">You may already have permission: MIT licensed resources<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<ul>\n<li>The MIT Libraries have agreements with many publishers that allow MIT authors to reuse figures without asking permission or paying any fee. Find more information <a href=\"\/scholarly\/publishing\/using-published-figures\/\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The MIT Libraries have licensed certain image resources for use at MIT (not necessarily shareable beyond MIT); see <a href=\"http:\/\/libguides.mit.edu\/findingimages\">http:\/\/libguides.mit.edu\/findingimages<\/a>. Be sure to check the rules of use at these sites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Openly licensed content<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Some sources for openly licensed images:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/search.creativecommons.org\/\">Creative Commons-licensed images<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/advanced_image_search\">Google Advanced Image Search<\/a>: look for \u201cusage rights\u201d limit \u2013 filter by \u201cfree to use or share\u201d<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openi.nlm.nih.gov\/\">Open-i<\/a>: open access biomedical images from the National Library of Medicine<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/scidraw.io\/\">SciDraw<\/a>: free repository of drawings of animals, scientific setups, and other OA drawings for scientific presentations<\/li>\n<li>Images created by the US government (.gov) are generally, though not always, in the public domain (See, e.g., <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\">http:\/\/www.nasa.gov<\/a>). Read the terms of use to verify status of content<\/li>\n<li>Public domain images: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resources\">Wikipedia&#8217;s public domain image resources list<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Use your fair use rights<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/17\/107\">fair use provisions<\/a> of U.S. copyright law allow use of copyrighted materials for specific purposes without permission of the copyright holder. The law as written is brief and general. Fair use is flexible, which means it can adapt to new situations but also that there are no black and white rules. In order to assess fair use, courts apply a holistic assessment of four factors:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The purpose and character of your use\n<ul>\n<li>Nonprofit, educational, scholarly or research use favors fair use<\/li>\n<li>Transformative use (repurposing, recontextualizing, using the work for a new purpose) favors fair use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The nature of the copyrighted work you are using\n<ul>\n<li>Using published, fact-based content favors fair use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The amount of the work you are using\n<ul>\n<li>Small or less significant amounts favor fair use<\/li>\n<li>Using only the amount needed for a given purpose favors fair use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The effect of your use on the market for or value of the copyrighted work\n<ul>\n<li>If there would be no effect, or it is not possible to obtain permission to use the work, this favors fair use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Applying this four-factor test is not a clear-cut process, and each individual needs to weigh all four factors to decide whether a fair use exemption will apply to a proposed reuse.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simplifying questions for fair use<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In most academic uses, two questions are most relevant for a fair use analysis:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Does the use transform the material, by using it for a different purpose?<\/li>\n<li>Was the amount taken appropriate to the new purpose? (Did you only take the amount you needed for your purpose?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you can answer a clear \u2018yes\u2019 to both questions, you generally should have a strong fair use case.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to improve a fair use case for an image<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Suggestions for improving your fair use case:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Place the image in a new context or use it for a new purpose<\/li>\n<li>Use lower resolution or thumbnail versions where possible<\/li>\n<li>Use only the parts of the image needed for the purpose<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Getting permission<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>If fair use or another copyright exception does not apply to a copyrightable work, you will generally need to get permission.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For a general guide of the permissions process, go to this <a href=\"http:\/\/fairuse.stanford.edu\/overview\/introduction\/getting-permission\/\">Stanford University Libraries page<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>You may need to pay a fee to the rights holder in order to use material; for a portion of a book or article, an efficient place to begin is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.copyright.com\">Copyright Clearance Center<\/a><em>, <\/em>which is a commercial service.<\/li>\n<li>For reuse of content from formats other than a book or article (e.g. music or film) consult this\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/guides.lib.utexas.edu\/copyright\/permission\">University of Texas guide.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Beyond copyright: Terms of use and other considerations<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Many websites have\u00a0\u201cTerms of Use\u201d\u00a0posted, which can function as a copyright license, and may be an enforceable contract between you and the site. These terms may be more restrictive than copyright and fair use, so it is important to read them and abide by them.<\/p>\n<p>To see if\u00a0special terms of use apply on a website:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Look for a link to a &#8220;Terms of Use,&#8221; &#8220;Legal,&#8221; a copyright statement, &#8220;End User License Agreement (EULA),&#8221; or similar options<\/li>\n<li>Read captions and collection descriptions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Also be aware of additional laws that may apply to\u00a0photographs of people. Rights of privacy or publicity limit the use of a person\u2019s likeness. To avoid potential problems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use photographs of people taken in larger public scenes, and avoid photographs of famous people, or people engaging in private activities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Using database and electronic journal content<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Most databases and electronic journals\u00a0are available at MIT under the terms of license agreements, which determine how each electronic journal or database can be used.<\/p>\n<p>License terms generally override copyright law where they differ, which means you may not be able to rely on fair use if you want to use these materials. If you have questions about license terms for a specific product, contact us at <a href=\"https:\/\/libanswers.mit.edu\/ask-scholarly-communications\">Ask Scholarly Communications<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Linking:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Linking to a database or an e-journal from a course page is generally allowed, and is the recommended method for providing online information content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Copying\/reposting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>to an open access environment: prohibited.<\/li>\n<li>to an access-controlled environment: may or may not be allowed.<\/li>\n<li>Contact us at <a href=\"https:\/\/libanswers.mit.edu\/ask-scholarly-communications\">Ask Scholarly Communications<\/a> to determine whether the e-journal or database from which you wish to post content allows it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Citing your sources<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Citing your source is critical to avoid plagiarism (using someone else\u2019s work without giving them credit), which is a serious form of academic dishonesty.\u00a0Plagiarism is considered a serious offense and is handled by <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.mit.edu\/policies-procedures\/100-academic-and-research-misconduct-and-dishonesty\">university processes<\/a>. See more about citing <a href=\"http:\/\/libguides.mit.edu\/c.php?g=176032&amp;p=1159439\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Citing your source, however, is not enough to protect you from the legal issue of copyright infringement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">How to cite<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<p>Citations can be formatted according to the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/libguides.mit.edu\/citing\">citation style<\/a>\u00a0you are using (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style).<\/p>\n<p>Include as much of the following in your citation as can be easily determined from the source:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>creator\u2019s name (e.g. the photographer)<\/li>\n<li>title of the work<\/li>\n<li>location of the work (museum, library or owning institution if known)<\/li>\n<li>date work was created<\/li>\n<li>copyright owner, if known (please note, this may not be the original creator)<\/li>\n<li>source \u2013 where you found the image<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"expandable\">\n<h3><a href=\"#\">Additional resources<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Questions? Contact us:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/libanswers.mit.edu\/ask-scholarly-communications\">Ask Scholarly Communications<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/app\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2018\/02\/FairUseWeek-Kaleidocycle-final.pdf\">Download the template<\/a> for our fair use kaleidocycle\u00a0(see how it works <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bLNZoh3flyI\">here<\/a>) and fold your own reference tool<\/li>\n<li>See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLRvYzZqiaI_NAHg41TFwoaj23KaxH9jTT\">YouTube channel<\/a> with talks on fair use<\/li>\n<li>A helpful\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.umn.edu\/services\/copyright\/use\">Fair Use overview from the University of Minnesota<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fairuse.stanford.edu\/\">Stanford Fair Use Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/17\">US copyright law<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Visit the US Copyright Office <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/fair-use\/\">fair use index<\/a>, a searchable database of fair use cases<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arl.org\/know-your-copyrights\/\">Know Your Copyrights<\/a> from the Association of Research Libraries<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/libguides.ala.org\/copyright\/fairuse\">Fair use guide<\/a> from the American Libraries Association<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cmsimpact.org\/codes-of-best-practices\/\">Codes of Best Practices in fair use<\/a> in various disciplines, from the Center for Media &amp; Social Impact<\/li>\n<li>Author\u2019s Alliance <a href=\"https:\/\/www.authorsalliance.org\/2018\/02\/28\/newly-updated-fair-use-faq\/\">fair use FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6DEu-cVYcI0&amp;ab_channel=UniversityofVirginiaLibrary\">Fair use in seven words<\/a> &#8211; a two minute video from University of Virginia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<h6>Page last updated on July 29, 2025<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Copyright is a bundle of rights that includes copying, adapting, or sharing someone else\u2019s work. You need permission from the copyright owner to do any of these things, unless fair use\u00a0or another exception applies. Is it covered by copyright? Copyright exists as soon as an original work is fixed in a tangible medium (written down, saved to a computer drive, recorded, etc.), but some content is not covered by copyright and can be used freely. This includes: Works in the public domain due to copyright expiration. See this chart for copyright expiration in the United States. Works created by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4298,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2058","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2058"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5107,"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2058\/revisions\/5107"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libraries.mit.edu\/scholarly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}