Copyright Considerations for the ePortfolio

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As you include artifacts in your ePortfolio, you will likely be confronted with thorny copyright questions. The question of copyright emerges whenever you incorporate materials that were created by someone else into your own work. There are many perfectly legal and ethical ways to utilize previously created work, but there are no clear cut guidelines. This page should help you understand the copyright basics you'll need to keep in mind as you use your ePortfolio.

Bare-bones Copyright Information

Copyright is complex and, to most people, pretty boring. Here's what you need to know:

• Copyright is automatic. No notice of copyright is required. This means that even if a work does not say "All Rights Reserved" or have the © symbol, it is likely to be fully protected by copyright.
  
• It lasts a LONG time - 70 years after the death of the author or 95 years for works owned by companies.
  
• The copyright owner has the exclusive right to copy, distribute, display, and perform their work. There are exemptions to that exclusive right built into the law but it can be really tricky to figure them out.
  

Never Fear!

Don't let the fact that copyright law is complex prevent you from drawing upon the work of others. Remember, most great creative work draws inspiration from previously created work. Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that you use others' work ethically, legally, and appropriately:

• Give credit where credit is due! Always provide citations when you use others' work.
  
• Who has access? Use of a copyrighted work might be perfectly permissible when you're only making it available to your classmates and instructor but be a violation of the law if it is placed somewhere public. This is very important to keep in mind with the ePortfolio. When you decide to make an artifact visible to anyone, the copyright considerations for your work change.
• Why are you using the work? Are you commenting upon, criticizing, parodying, or analyzing the work? If so, your use of it is probably okay. If you're only using the work to provide aesthetic appeal, the use is less likely to be legal.
• How much are you using? Make sure you're using an amount appropriate to the use. For example, if you're commenting upon a stanza of a poem, it is most appropriate to include only that stanza.
  

The guidelines offered above will only go so far in assisting you with navigating the murky waters of copyright. If you ever want any help interpreting copyright laws and policies or determining whether a specific use of material is compliant, don't hesitate to contact the library. Librarian Rachel Bridgewater (bridgewa@vancouver.wsu.edu or 6-9694) specializes in copyright and would be glad to assist you.