Getting permission
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to use their materials. See the Library of Congress Circular Number 1 for more details.
What is public domain?
A work of authorship is in the “public domain” if it is no longer under copyright protection or if it failed to meet the requirements for copyright protection. Materials in the Public Domain may be used without fear of infringing on someone’s copyright. Here are some guidelines to help you determine whether something is in the public domain.
How do I get permission to use copyrighted materials?
- For printed materials, you may contact the Copyright Clearance Center. Open access to certain printed materials is available via the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)
- For printed and recorded sound, you may contact the organizations, such as ASCAP, identified by the Music Library copyright policy.
- For video materials, you may contact the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation or the Motion Picture Association of America.
- For digital and visual art, please contact the academic department where these resources are maintained.
This resource is not a substitute for legal advice. If you want specific advice about a copyright matter, you may contact the UWM Office of Legal Affairs. You may also seek copyright advice by sending an email to copyright@uwm.edu.