Copyright Guide: Using Copyrighted Materials

How to Use Copyrighted Materials

Due to U.S. copyright law, a great deal of creative content is automatically copyrighted upon creation. You should assume something is copyrighted until you have details about its copyright status.

Before using content, follow these steps

• Determine the work's copyright status
  • If the work is still covered by copyright, do a fair use analysis
  • If you believe your use is fair, you do not need to request permission. 
• If your use is not fair:
  • Request permission

​​You do not always need to contact someone to get permission. Some licenses like Creative Commons grants permission to use work in advance.