Copyright Guidance

This site provides guidance to faculty, students, and staff on Rutgers policy and practice for using copyrighted works in academic research and publication, teaching, and other educational activity. It also offers guidance on copyright law as it applies to works that we create as authors, artists, scholars, teachers, and students.

Rutgers University is dedicated to the creation, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge and ideas through research, teaching, and service. Through its copyright policy, Rutgers seeks to create an environment in which its members will realize this worthy purpose.

Understanding how to use copyrighted works in research, scholarship, and teaching and how to manage one’s own copyrighted works is a fundamental part of university activity. Knowledge of copyright and other intellectual property issues allows us to make socially beneficial and innovative uses of digital technology and is key to advancing global digital scholarship, online education, and information sharing. Rutgers University Libraries provides support to faculty, students, and staff in achieving these goals.

In the digital environment, it is also important to know when a license applies to works we wish to use. For many types of digital works, a license governs the terms and conditions under which we can make use of a work. Licenses are governed by contract law. It’s important to understand the difference between works governed directly by copyright law and those governed by licenses.

In today’s information environment, everyone needs a basic understanding of how copyright law and licensing work. Copyright underlies our daily activity at the university.

These guidelines, like the law itself, evolve and are subject to change. Please refer to this website for ongoing updates as copyright law, and interpretations of the law, evolve in the digital environment.

The material on this site is intended for information purposes and should not be interpreted as legal advice.

If you believe your copyright has been infringed on a web site hosted by Rutgers University, please contact the Rutgers Designated Agent for compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Rutgers University Libraries’ Copyright pages were originally developed by Janice Pilch.