Schedule a consultation with the Scholarly Communication Program for assistance by emailing scholcomm@ucdavis.edu.
Copyright and Licensing
Copyrighted work is an essential part of day-to-day life on campus. Research, scholarship, instructional materials, software, and—in some cases—datasets are all examples of copyrighted work the campus community regularly creates, uses, and builds upon.
Your Copyrights at Davis
UC Davis follows a long tradition of respecting faculty and student ownership of the copyrights to most original works. In some cases, where the University has commissioned the work or, for faculty, where the work is not the product of “independent academic effort,” the University will instead be the copyright owner.
Knowing what you own is the first step toward effective management of your copyrights.
Using Copyrighted Work
You make regular use of copyrighted work in the classroom and in your scholarship. Knowing where, when, and how to make proper use of copyrighted work can save headaches and streamline your work.
Permission: of course you can use work with the owner’s permission. Learn more about the process of obtaining permission on the UC copyright page.
Fair Use: in the United States, “fair use” provisions allow some uses of copyrighted work without the owner’s permission. Learn more about fair use and how to use it on the UC copyright page.
The Public Domain: copyrights expire, and some works are never protected by copyright at all. Learn more about the public domain on the UC copyright page.
Copyright and Publishing
Most publishers will require that you sign some of your rights away. Do you know what you are giving up and how these agreements affect your future work?
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