How to Use Copyrighted Work for Educational Purposes

If a person want to use copyrighted work to circulate for any manner or educational purposes, that person must obtain permission from the copyright holder. The first step in this process would be to contact the publisher of the work.

One place that may help users obtain a copyright is the U.S. Library of Congress Copyright office. The Copyright office provides information and references to the public concerning copyrights and recorded documents. According to www.copyright.gov, the office responds to all copyright information and references request from the public
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For example, if someone is trying to find out who owns the copyright to a particular play or document you would like to reproduce in part for a book, the Copyright office would be a good starting place to find that information.

Numerous university websites have sample permission letters, where the person making the request describes his or her project, the specific work that will be cited and what the work will be used for. The Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Copyright Management Center website suggests that the person making the request send an original letter and copy to the author, so both can have a signed copy of the agreement. Some publishers will now allow you to make the request online. An author's copyrighted work can be used in small portions in what is called the Doctrine of Fair Use.

Before the Copyright Act of 1976, an author's work needed to be published and own a "Notice of Copyright" to be protected. If the work was not copyrighted, the work is considered in the public domain and can be used by anyone without permission.

The 1976 Copyright Act created new rules, stating at all work produced after on or after Jan. 1, 1978 is automatically copyrighted until the author's death, plus an additional 70 years. The act was updated in 1992, giving automatic copyright renewal for copyrights secured between Jan. 1, 1964 and Dec. 31, 1977.

According to the website, the Copyright public information office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The office can be reached by calling (202) 707-3000 or by writing the Library of Congress, Copyright Office, Publication Section, LM-455, 101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, D.C., 20559-6000.