Getting Started
Under the U.S. Copyright Law, students at post-secondary institutions are covered by several educational exceptions and have the right:
- to use publicly available material from the internet in assignments, projects and presentations
- to show legally acquired DVDs and videos or play legally acquired sound recordings in classroom presentations
- to play live broadcasts or podcasts in the classroom
In addition, students have all general user rights, including:
- reproduction for private purposes
- Fair Use for the purposes of research, private study, education, parody, satire, criticism, review, and news reporting
- the right to create new works from other copyright protected works, subject to the following limitations:
- non-commercial,
- sources are listed,
- original works are legal copies, and
- no adverse financial or other effect on original works
Once students graduate or otherwise leave the institution, educational exceptions cease to apply, but they retain all individual user rights.
This guide is intended for the purpose of increasing copyright literacy. It is not a substitute for legal advice. If you have a specific question related to copyright that is not covered in this guide, please contact the U.S. Copyright Office.