The laws we take for granted today weren’t actually created with the payment or protection of the authors in mind, nor did they intend to encourage the creation of new works. Copyright was primarily designed for censorship, control and strict regulation.
Copyright Early History (7 min)
Fines for copyright are determined by the courts on a case by case basis, and are not less than $750.00 or more than $30,000.00 per violation. The court may increase the award of statutory damages to a sum of not more than $150,000.00 per violation.
Welcome to the Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Copyright LibGuide! This guide is designed to create awareness and understanding of copyright issues in the workplace. We all have the responsibility of making sure we are in compliance with copyright law as we go about our daily work. Failure to comply may lead to substantial penalties for MCHS. At this LibGuide you can access the MCHS Copyright Compliance Policy, view tutorials on basic copyright, review fair use, access websites to use for free images, and more.
If you have time, start with viewing the video "Copyright Early History". You will be surprised to learn of the original intent of Copyright. The Copyright Basics video is an excellent overview of copyright in the workplace. If you need assistance, please contact your librarians!
Copyright was created to protect the rights of authors and creators of original works, such as works of a literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic form. It also includes text and images from websites, journal articles, and books. Copyright is supported by the laws of the United States (U.S. Code Title 17 and the 1976 Copyright Act).
The laws say those holding ownership of works have the exclusive right to permit others:
It is illegal for anyone to violate these rights without the permission of the copyright holder.
Companies are held liable for the actions of their employees. Please refer to the MCHS Copyright Compliance Policy.
Since January 1, 1978 anything set into a fixed format such as articles, photos, drawings, audio or video recordings, paintings and other artwork, graphic art designs, web design, web pages, PowerPoint presentations and books are protected under copyright law. Once anything is written, published, or recorded, it is automatically copyrighted. No copyright symbol or notice is required.
Copyright protects:
Copyright does not protect:
This guide is not intended to be legal advice. It is designed to provide general information about copyright to consider while researching and teaching in the health care field.
Many thanks to April M. Hathcock, Scholarly Communications Librarian, New York University Libraries and Georgia Harper, University of Texas Libraries and Ascension Wisconsin Libraries for sharing their LibGuide Content.