Skip to Main Content Galveston College Library
  • Galveston CollegeLibrary
  • Copyright & Fair Use


    The Galveston College Library strongly supports intellectual property rights, and U.S. and international copyright laws. Digital technology makes violating copyright extremely easy. The equipment provided by the Library is intended to be used in accordance with those laws to support the academic achievement of students and to enrich the learning environment. This includes, but is not limited to, photocopies, scanning, computers, and video equipment. Students, faculty, staff, and Library patrons should read and understand the copyright warnings posted in the College’s Copyright and Fair Use Value Statement.

    Who Owns Copyright?

    • Author
    • Those deriving rights through or from the author
    • Works for hire, the employer is the copyright holder
    • Joint works, two or more authors can own the copyright

    What is Protected?

    • Literature
    • Music and Lyrics
    • Drama
    • Pantomime and Dance
    • Pictures, Graphics, Sculpture
    • Films
    • Sound Recordings
    • Architecture
    • Software

    Useful Links

    "In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work."
    (Source: U.S. Copyright Office)

    Copyright Videos

    These videos are made available by the global rights licensing experts at Copyright Clearance Center as follows. The Copyright Clearance Center welcomes you to watch this video here, to link to this page from your websites and intranets, or to download it for internal non-commercial use (but solely in its entirety and with attribution to us). Editing of this video is strictly prohibited, and posting of this video elsewhere on the Internet is strictly prohibited.

    Copyright on Campus 

    • Jane the librarian educates her university colleagues about copyright law. 

    Copyright Basics

    • Jim T. Librarian explains the ins and outs of U.S. copyright law. 

    What's Copyright Protected?

    • See what creations are and are not protected by copyright.