Research Guides: Media & Design at UCBA: Ethical Use of Media

General Principles

The ethical use of media is each person's responsibility whether one is a student or a professional. As a student or faculty member, you may use media for academic course assignments, teaching, and personal research without seeking permission. This use is permitted under the fair use guidelines of the U.S. Copyright Law (section 107). However, these materials are copyrighted and require the permission of the creators should you use them outside of the classroom either for personal or professional works. It is your responsibility to review the copyright information from the source you found the media item(s) to make sure you are in compliance.

United States Copyright Law

Refer to these websites to view the US Copyright Law and explanations of its key components including "fair use" and "public domain."

Copyright and Licensing Guidelines

The following are websites created by media professional organizations and universities that address copyright, licensing, contracts, and the ethical use of media.

Copyright Alliance
The Copyright Alliance believes that copyright law promotes creativity and job creation and strengthens the U.S. economy. Those who create, render, and publish copyrighted works rely on the copyright law and its enforcement, for their creative and financial success....Our shared belief in protecting copyrighted creative works brings together in the Copyright Alliance a broad panoply of parties, from artists’ unions to major publishers. A sweeping swath of creative works are represented, from songwriters to photographers, motion pictures to videogames, recording artists to graphic designers, software developers to sports leagues.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools.
Graphic Artists Guild
An organization of graphic designers, Web designers, digital artists, illustrators, cartoonists, animators, art directors, surface designers, and various combinations of these disciplines; a union of men and women in the same craft or trade whose purpose is to uphold and improve standards and protect the rights of its members; this page on the Guild website addresses copyright issues, licensing, and other business issues.

Examples of Copyright Statements

The following are examples of copyright statements you will typically find. Look for phrases such as "terms of use," "copyright," "conditions", or "licenses" to find information on the permissable use of the materials.