Most of the electronic resources such as ejournals, databases and ebooks available at AFIT are owned (copyrighted) by outside publishers and governed by license agreements. These agreements determine how an electronic resource can or cannot be used. This page is meant to provide you with basic information on appropriate use of electronic materials and link you to resources for more specific information if you need it.
Use of the above mentioned electronic resources is limited to:
Appropriate use
It is the responsibility of individual Authorized Users to ensure that these resources are used solely for scholarly, research, educational and personal non-commercial purposes in accordance with the requirements stated below.
The following applies to electronic resources that are copyrighted and/or governed by AFIT license agreements. Other restrictions may apply as well.
|
You may: |
You may not: |
|---|---|
|
Print or download individual articles, chapters or other items on a limited basis. |
Systematically download, save, print or distribute large amounts of information (e.g. download all articles from a journal issue; engage in large-scale downloading from licensed resources to create databases). |
|
Send an article or item to another Authorized User. |
Send an article or item to a person who is not an Authorized User (unless this is specifically allowed by a publisher's license). |
|
Link to articles or other items from a publisher's website (recommended method for providing electronic content). |
Post an article or other items in any open access environment, including the Internet and Web (includes mailing lists, electronic bulletin boards, blogs, etc.). See Self-archiving below. |
What are your "Fair Use" options?
Fair Use provisions of US copyright law allow reproduction and distribution of copyrighted materials on a limited basis for specific purposes without the permission of the copyright holder. In order for Fair Use to apply, the reproduction and distribution must be for the noncommercial purposes of scholarship, research or education (among others).
Fair Use is a limited right. It generally means you cannot reproduce or distribute large portions of a book or multiple articles from the same issue of a journal. A reasonable interpretation of the law is one (1) article per issue of a journal, and one-tenth or one chapter of book, whichever is greater. Use beyond this allowance requires payment of copyright royalty fees to the publisher.
Many publishers allow authors to self-archive a pre- or post-print copy of their papers on the author's webpage or institutional website. There can be restrictions on this type of self-archiving.
Potential consequences of a violation of the Institute's contractual agreements with publishers regarding copyright:
|
AIP (email) |
|
|
Copyright.com - they will contact the right people and secure rights for you for a fee. |
|
|
Creative Commons - keep your copyright, but allow some rights for others. |
|
Additional resources about copyright and copyright law
United States Copyright Office
Best Practices for Fair Use from the Center for Social Media
Copyright Act of 1976, amended
Crash Course in Copyright (University of Texas)
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Stanford University Libraries — Copyright and Fair Use
Questions and further information
AFIT employees - if you have questions, please Ask-A-Librarian.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this web page is valid, we cannot guarantee its accuracy, currency or reliability. This page is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.
Adapted with permission of Carol Hoover from the LANL Research Library.