The Grand Valley State University Libraries are committed to following all applicable laws regarding copyright and other intellectual property. This includes not only preserving the rights of creators and owners of copyright, but also supporting the rights of users of copyrighted material, including fair use and other exemptions from copyright. This policy outlines the role of the University Libraries in providing education, information, and support regarding copyright, in order to fulfill our mission of advancing intellectual growth and discovery at GVSU.

The University Libraries work to educate and support our students, faculty, and staff by serving as an information resource on copyright law as well as the rights of creators, owners, and users of copyrighted materials. We provide detailed resources for understanding and working with copyright through our copyright guide: http://wm4.xyschool.net/library/copyright

We also offer educational programming, individual consultations, and other services related to copyright issues. For more information on the copyright services we provide, or for support with a copyright issue, please contact a librarian http://wm4.xyschool.net/library/librarians

The University Libraries offer education and information, but we do not enforce others’ compliance with copyright law, nor do we provide legal advice. We can help faculty, students, and staff understand how copyright law works in general, and provide information on specific issues, but the final responsibility for ethical and legal use of copyrighted materials rests with the user. This responsibility extends to the use of technology provided by the Libraries, such as scanners and photocopiers.

The University Libraries do take responsibility for adhering to copyright law when using copyrighted materials in our mediated services, including course reserves and Document Delivery, and we make internal decisions accordingly. However, we cannot make decisions for other users; we can only provide information and education. For legal advice pertaining to copyright and other intellectual property issues, we recommend that you contact the Division of Legal, Compliance & Risk Management.