Copyright Information: Syracuse University

"The Congress shall have Power ... To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

Welcome to the copyright information portal for Syracuse University. This Web site provides basic, objective educational information to members of the Syracuse University community about U.S. copyright law and related legal constructs that affect the creation, use, retention and adaptation of print, visual, aural, and online information for scholarly purposes. 

As a research institution, Syracuse University faculty, students and staff produce and share a wide range of works in a variety of media that automatically receive copyright protection under United States law. Similarly, members of the University community use a wide range of works as in the pursuit of our respective academic, scholarly, and professional goals. 

As a result, we all have a vested interest in a copyright system that properly balances a copyright owner's exclusive rights in protected works with the public's ability to use those same works, occasionally without requiring permission or compensation to the owner. The information on this Web site helps members of the University community balance educational uses with authors' rights by providing information on:

• Authorship & copyright ownership;
• Use of copyrighted works consistent with statutory limitations;
• Useful resources outside this portal; and
• Other copyright matters that routinely affect the creation and dissemination of scholarship by members of the Syracuse University community. 

While the Library and I stand behind the information that is presented within this portal, it does not constitute legal advice. Therefore, please read the requisite legalese:

DISCLAIMER: The information in this portal [http://copyright.syr.edu] provides only information about U.S. copyright law and other laws that may govern the use of information in analog or digital form. The information in this portal is designed to help members of the Syracuse University community handle their own needs with respect to information use. Nothing on this site provides legal advice, a legal opinion, or an official University position, regardless of whether you use the information as a Syracuse University employee or student, or as an individual who is not affiliated with Syracuse University. Any requirements or requests for legal advice, a legal opinion, or an assessment of Syracuse University policy must be forwarded to the University Legal Counsel. Your use of this portal constitutes that you understand and agree to this disclaimer.

This portal is updated regularly with new information. For daily news about copyright, intellectual property, and information law that affects University scholars and others, please follow the Library's copyright Twitter feed at @sucopyright, or my personal Twitter feed on copyright matters at @copycense.

K. Matthew Dames

Copyright & Information Policy Adviser

Syracuse University Library