Copyright and Fair Use: Home

Copyright is a legal right, grounded in the U.S. Constitution, that gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to:

• Reproduce the work
• Prepare derivative works
• Distribute the work
• Publicly perform the work
• Publicly display the work
• Authorize others to exercise some or all of those rights

Copyright takes effect immediately once a work has been fixed in tangible form--registration is optional and not necessary--and lasts for 70 years after the death of the author (in the case of works for hire or anonymous/pseudonymous works, 95 works from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter).

This guide is intended to help members of the Rice community navigate common copyright questions:

• Public domain
• Fair use
• Framework for Copyright Analysis: Tips for working through a copyright question
• Copyright and Canvas: Tips for addressing copyright issues in the Canvas course management system

This guide was created for informational purposes only. It does not provide legal advice, nor is it intended to replace the advice of legal counsel.