Copyright is a set of exclusive legal rights to reproduce, publish, sell or distribute an original work of authorship, including literary, musical and audiovisual works. These exclusive rights are balanced by a set of exceptions that grant others the right to use copyrighted works in certain ways.
Fair use is an exception in the copyright law that allows users to use a copyrighted work without permission under certain circumstances. Exceptions include copying for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research.
Libraries must comply with the provisions of the copyright laws. Title 17, Section 108 of the U.S. Code gives special rights to libraries and archives, allowing them to use copyrighted material in specific ways without permission from the copyright holder. This law addresses topics including interlibrary loan, copying works for patrons, and replacing and preserving materials.
Refer to the Information Management Quick Guide for more information about interlibrary loans.
A variety of resources can help the new transportation librarian or information services provider better understand the implications of copyright: