Research
Contact Information
Mahoney Library
Saint Elizabeth University
2 Convent Road
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone:
Main Desk: (973) 290-4237
Library Hours:
Mon-Fri 8am to 12am
Sat, Sun 2pm to 12am
Library services will be unavailable/closed:
- Monday, Sept. 2, 2024
- Monday, Oct. 14, 2024
- Wednesday, Nov. 28 through Friday, Nov. 29, 2024
Copyright, Plagiarism, Fair Use, and Public Domain
When doing research and writing papers, either as an undergrad, grad, or professional
academic, it's important to remember some very important rules and limits for how
you can use the resources you find. Here are some of the most important.
Copyright
Copyright refers to the legal right granting the producer of creative or intellectual
property exclusive rights to determine whether, and under what conditions, their work
may be used by others. Saint Elizabeth University identifies the importance of following
copyright laws in the following terms:
Violating copyright laws and/or using the work of others via computer or other technological
means without express permission and/or clear attribution demonstrates disrespect
for the creative work and personal expression of others. Although electronic and/or
magnetic information is easily produced, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access,
trade secret violations, and copyright violations are illegal (1987 EDUCOM and AADAPSO
and copyright laws). Most computer and audio/video software are protected by copyright
laws. It is incumbent upon the user to be familiar with the license agreement between
the editor or publisher and the purchaser (Violations of Academic Integrity and Sanctions,
2018-2019).
Permission to use copyrighted material often requires a cost, and may be restricted
to a specific time frame, purpose or means of distribution. It is advisable to get
permission in writing to use such material, since copyright infringement is a violation
of law and can result in a fine ranging from $200-$150,000.
Fair Use
Fair Use allows for the use of work under copyright for specific purposes, such as
teaching, criticism, commentary, and news reporting. In such instances permission
may not be needed but credit should always be given to the original author or creator
of the work.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is when you say or imply that you are the author or creator of a work when
you are not. As defined in the University's academic catalog, under Academic Integrity
and Conduct,
Plagiarizing, which is the use of the work of another person or group without giving
the author(s) credit. Plagiarism includes: using all or part of another student's
paper, journal, lab report, computer program or file; buying a paper, or trading goods
or services for a paper; and using ideas, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or pages
from an article, essay, book, newspaper, magazine, or any other reference source without
properly citing that source, either deliberately or through neglect (Violations of
Academic Integrity and Sanctions, 2018-2019).
Plagiarism according to SEU policy is a violation of academic integrity and repeated
offences will lead to suspension or expulsion from the University.
Public Domain
Public Domain refers to creative work that is not protected by copyright and may be
freely used by everyone. The reasons that the work is not protected include:
- The term of copyright for the work has expired.
- The author failed to satisfy statutory formalities to establish the copyright.
- The work is a product of the U.S. Government.
Anything created before 1923 is in the public domain because copyright did not exist
at that time.
After that, you will have to check with the creator of the work. Never assume that
anything is in the public domain unless that status is specifically stated with the
work.