Copyright laws are intended to protect the intellectual property rights for all authors and copyright owners, for all materials, including books, articles, and poetry. Unlawful reproduction of copyrighted material infringes on the rights of the creator of the material and hinders the future production of intellectual materials.

The "Fair Use" doctrine allows limited copying of materials for classroom use under the conditions of brevity, spontaneity, and the cumulative effect. To establish the strongest basis for fair use, consider and apply the four factors along the line of these suggestions:

• Purpose of the use
• Nature of the work
• Amount of the work
• Effect of the use on the market for the original

For more information about "Fair Use," see the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning.

University counsel is available to address questions about copyright issues.