U.S. and international laws have complex relationships with the publications and work product of media professionals and also with academics and journalists who analyze communications media. Further complexity enters if one operates within scholarly, educational, and not for profit environments. This guide in not a comprehensive primer on copyright law, fair use of copyrighted publications and the like. Nevertheless, most scholars, journalists and media managers will at one time or another encounter questions in this area, or perhaps even conflicts. Here are a few resources the public communications librarian, Michael Pasqualoni, invites you to consider.
Visit as well the SU Libraries guide on Legal Research for Non Law Students
SU Libraries Copyright Guide: Provides educational information to the Syracuse University community about copyright and other laws, policies, and regulations that govern information creation, use, retention and adaptation for scholarly purposes. The Portal also provides guidance and direction to the University community on issues such as:
All the Guide's information is educational. None of the information should be considered formal legal advice.
Here are some additional resources of interest on copyright, fair use and plagiarism:
Copyright Basics - Circular 1, U.S. Copyright Office
More Information on Fair Use - U.S. Copyright Office
U.S. Copyright Office - Information Circulars Website
Copyright Crash Course, University of Texas, Austin
*especially helpful for those examining copyright in academic environments.
Anderson, R. (2016, August 1). The Difference between Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism—and Why It Matters. Library Journal
*understanding the differences
Bound By Law (2006), Keith Aoki, James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins - Center for the Study of the Public Domain, Duke University
*Uses a comic book format to address the complexities of copyright and fair use of content as experienced by a hypothetical independent filmmaker.
Theft: A History of Music (2017), James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins - Center for the Study of the Public Domain, Duke University
*Uses a graphic novel format to address what this center describes as a laying out a 2000-year long history of musical borrowing from Plato to rap.
Created in 2007 by Eric Faden, Assoc Professor of English & Film/Media Studies, Bucknell University. A creative exploration of copyright principles that uses remixed animation. Identical version is hosted by Center for Internet & Society, Stanford University Law School
National Public Radio - Plagiarism [January 10, 2002] - coverage by NPR's All Things Considered of the plagiarism topic - with particular focus on plagiarism trouble encountered by the late historian Stephen Ambrose.
Glazer, S. (2013, January 4). Plagiarism and cheating. CQ Researcher. CQ Press
Hansen, B. (2003, September 19). Combating plagiarism. CQ Researcher, 13, 773-796. - [access limited to currently affiliated Syracuse University students, faculty, staff]. An enyclopedic overview of some of the leading issues and historical background on plagiarism, including discussion of online plagiarism detection software like Turnitin, and numerous case studies involving famous individuals who have encountered plagiarism trouble. Also includes critical commentary by Syracuse University Professor of Writing & Rhetoric, Rebecca Moore Howard cautioning against overly punitive approaches to some forms of plagiarism which may be resulting from poor writing skills, badly designed academic assignments or other forms of inadequate educational preparation. Moore's arguments ask us to recall that not all instances of plagiarism are borne out of a desire to cheat.