Copyright

"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8)

The copyright law saw major changes in 1976. The basics of this law are covered in the following PDF documents:

• Copyright Basics 
• Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians 
• The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998  - U.S. Copyright Official Summary

Many copyright questions center around the issue of fair use.

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