Copyright Assistance

About

The University Copyright Office was established in 2012 as part of the University Libraries strategic plan due to the growth and increasing complexity of copyright law and practices in higher education. The office is part of the University Library and serves as the centralized point for all matters concerning copyright. The office also serves as the center for scholarly communications and provides information and assistance to faculty, students, and staff with respect to publishing agreements, promotes open access policies where possible, and educates the university community on these issues through quarterly digests and guides. This office does not provide guidance on matters involving patents. Issues involving patents are handled through the Office of Commercialization and Industrial Relations. University owned trademarks including logos are handled by the Office of University Marketing. The Copyright Office can provide general information related to non-university owned trademarks and the trademark process.

Mission and Goals Statement

The University Copyright Office strives to serve and support the Texas State University community including faculty, students and staff as well as members of our local communities through educational initiatives focused on copyright policies, procedures, and training, including organizing centrally-located information resources. The Office also endeavors to foster and encourage open access models of scholarly communication and the creation and sharing of educational materials to the greatest extent possible. University Copyright

Office Goals

• Support the mission and goals of Texas State University especially in its commitment to teaching, research and scholarship;
• Provide current information on developments in copyright law and practice;
• Provide guidance on the educational uses of copyrighted materials including providing resources and instruction on fair use of such materials;
• Encourage awareness and use of public domain materials;
• Provide copyright education to the university community in the form of guides, brochures, newsletters, social media, tutorials, in person workshops;
• Provide permission request services for the use of copyrighted materials.

Services Provided by the University Copyright Office

• Assist with locating works that are within the public domain and free to use without cost or limitation;
• Determine whether works including images, text, or music are subject to copyright protection;
• Assist in obtaining permission to use copyright protected works including films, printed materials, music, photographs and other images as instructional materials and other educational uses;
• Advise and assist faculty concerning publishing rights, emerging models of scholarly communication, review of publishing agreements, and the depositing of works with institutional repositories and archives;
• Assist faculty with in reviewing materials that may be used and authorized in teaching of distance education courses under the TEACH Act;
• Advise graduate and undergraduate students with respect to copyright issues especially as those issues relate to the preparation of student academic works such as dissertations and theses;
• Review of licensing agreements that may impact copyright related matters;
• Answering questions regarding Texas State University System or Texas State University copyright policies and procedures including how those policies relate to both federal and state laws and regulations;
• Providing research services and resources including answering general questions regarding copyright issues;
• Providing workshops and classroom instruction on copyright issues;
• Reviewing department and unit procedures for copyright compliance;
• Plan and organize on campus events that encourage awareness of current copyright law and developments, open access and the sharing of information and the public domain as a source of materials for research and other uses.

Legal Disclaimer: The University Copyright Office provides materials and resources on copyright and intellectual property issues for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice or counsel. Those seeking legal advice are encouraged to contact TSUS Office of General Counsel or a private attorney that has knowledge of or a background in copyright and intellectual property matters. A list of private attorneys licensed to practice in the state of Texas can be found at the State Bar of Texas website.