Copyright FAQ

Can I download music from the Internet and give it to a couple of friends for Christmas?

If you download from a legal music download service (iTunes, Microsoft Music, Real’s Rhapsody, etc.) that’s fine. Music downloaded from Peer-to-Peer systems (Kazaa, etc. ) are NOT legal.

My friend lent me a cool new software game and I put it on my Laptop. That’s OK isn’t it?

Not unless you bought it from him.

My uncle gave me Matrix Reloaded for my birthday- I loved it so much, I burned a copy and gave it to my friend.

Patently illegal. It’s no different than you walking into a store and stealing the DVD from the store.

Sally made a mix of her best music from her original cd’s and then gave them out to her friends for graduation. Is that OK?

This is a gray area. “Mix” CD’s are not copies of originals because they are unique compilations. While not advisable, the legal issues around this type of activity are not decided.

I found the best web site on the Civil War. I not only used some of the wording from the text, but I downloaded the images and it made my paper look great. That’s OK, right?

This would be considered plagiarism of both text and image. Always cite your sources. Go to citing sources if you need help, or ask a librarian.

I just found an article that I would like the Academic Committee to read.  Can I distribute a copy of the article to each of the ten committee members?

Yes, distributing the ten copies for commentary, criticism, or teaching complies with the "fair use" requirement and so there is no infringement of copyright law.

(Questions were answered by Peter Hoopes, Head of Technology and Carol Ann Pala, Library Director.)