The St. John's University Libraries' copyright policies for
library services are in accordance with University policy and are
derived from the fair use provisions of the U. S. copyright law and guidelines
developed to assist libraries with compliance.
In addition to fair use, the libraries' policies conform to the
provisions of:
- Section 108 of the copyright law
- the National Interlibrary Loan Code
(American Library Association) and the
- CONTU Guidelines, developed by the
National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works
to assist librarians and copyright proprietors in understanding the
amount of photocopying for use in interlibrary loan arrangements
permitted under the copyright law.
All collections of the St. John's University Libraries –
regardless of format – are purchased by the university for the
non-profit educational use of students and faculty. All library
materials are acquired with the understanding that there will be
multiple uses of a limited number of print copies or multiple
simultaneous uses of electronic text. The library frequently pays a
premium institutional subscription price or licensing fee for
journals and other databases for the privilege of supporting
multiple academic users.
What works are protected by copyright and for how
long?
Works that are "original works of authorship" and "fixed in any
tangible medium of expression" receive automatic copyright
protection. Given the low standard of originality that is required
and the variety of formats that can serve as the "medium of
expression", copyright can apply to almost anything in the
libraries' collection or on any web site.
However, copyright protection does not last forever. When the
copyright expires, the work enters the public domain, and it may be
copied and used without worrying about copyright infringement. The
time frame for copyright protection has been changed over the years
and generally depends upon the original publication date.
A handy chart shows the various terms of
copyright protection.