Final review of the UC policy on copyright and fair use

The campus has the opportunity to review and comment on the final draft of the proposed revised UC Policy on Copyright and Fair Use (currently called the 1986 Policy on the Reproduction of Copyrighted Materials for Teaching and Research). This revised policy is intended to be a clear statement by the University in support of copyright law and in defense of the “fair use” principle.

The proposed revised Policy on Copyright and Fair Use was prepared by the Systemwide Library and Scholarly Information Advisory Committee (SLASIAC) Standing Subcommittee on Copyright Policy after analyzing comments received during Systemwide Review, including comments provided by the Academic Council. Based on these comments, the revised draft policy includes a statement to the effect that the University will defend employees who reproduce copyrighted materials in the good faith belief that they are doing so in compliance with the law, and it articulates more explicitly the University’s responsibility to provide support for the faculty’s copyright concerns.

Final Review is intended to advise as to the results of the Systemwide Review and how language has been refined; substantive revisions during Final Review are not anticipated.  The proposed revised Policy on Copyright and Fair Use and background materials are available online at:  http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sscp/resources.

Comments and/or questions on this proposed revised policy, if any, may be submitted directly to Joanne Miller, California Digital Library Department, at joanne.miller@ucop.edu by April 30, 2015.

For your information, practical written guidance for understanding copyright and fair use, which is regularly updated with relevant information, is available online at:  http://www.ucop.edu/ott/faculty/crprimr.html. Additionally, assistance in determining what type of help is needed with a specific copyright-related issue can be obtained by sending an email message to copyright@ucop.edu.