Part 7. Copyright Resources: General Interest

A mix of educational and popular sites that provide entry points to understanding copyright.

The UT System Crash Course in Copyright
This comprehensive hypertext course for the University of Texas applies to K-12 as well. By Georgia Harper, manager of the Intellectual Property Section of the Office of General Counsel for the University of Texas System.

U.S. Copyright Office: Information Circulars
A useful resource for learning about copyright; many publications have been revised to reflect changes made by recent legislation. Of special interest are Circular 1 - Copyright Basics, 15a - Duration of Copyright: Provisions of the Law Dealing with the Length of Copyright Protection, 21 - Reproductions of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians, Fair Use (FL102), and New Terms for Copyright Protection (SL15).
FA©E (Friends of Active Copyright Education)
A site promoting copyright awareness from the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. Moving images, Internet, words, music, still images, and international sections explain copyright law.
Patent, Copyright & Trademark Law - Nolo.com Legal Encyclopedia
Self-help legal information publisher Nolo Press presents articles on understanding copyright law.
Cyberspace Law for Non-Lawyers
Law professors Lawrence Lessig, David Post, and Eugene Volokh provide rules of thumb on copying and fair use in a short course on copyright law. (Other courses cover privacy, trademark, libel, free speech, and contract law.)
A Guide to Copyright for Music Librarians
This guide is sponsored by the Legislation Committee of the Music Library Association. See the FAQs, Current Issues in Copyright, and Copyright Guidelines sections. Of interest to generalists as well as music librarians.
Copyright Law & Graduate Research: New Media, New Rights and Your New Dissertation
"Although this guide focuses on doctoral dissertations, its principles extend as well to master's theses and many other published works. Much of it also examines the fundamentals of copyright, and thus ought to be useful for seasoned researchers needing a succinct overview or refresher on the legal principles." By Kenneth D. Crews, Director of the Copyright Management Center at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.
A Visit to Copyright Bay
A map of the bay features clickable locales such as Fair Use Harbor, Murky Waters, and Infringement Reef. Each locale examines a specific copyright area (for example, single copying for teachers). Students in the master's degree program in Educational Technology Leadership at George Washington University developed this site.
The Copyright Website
A copyright primer from attorney Benedict O'Mahoney.
10 Big Myths about copyright explained
A quick take on copyright usage and the Internet from Electronic Freedom Foundation board member Brad Templeton.