For a thorough review of copyright basics and frequently asked questions, visit the UK Copyright Center.
Additional helpful resources:
Exceptions to these limits include titles in the public domain, government documents, and certain open access works.
Please direct any questions about the appropriate use of licensed information resources to refdesk@uky.edu.
UK Libraries adheres to copyright law and Fair Use Guidelines when placing materials on course reserve. If you want to use photocopies or digital scans of copyrighted materials in your courses you may need to obtain permission from the copyright holder.
Some copyrighted material included in course reserves is covered by the fair use provisions of the US Copyright Act (Section 107).
Generally, copyright permissions for photocopied or scanned material are required if:
Copyright permissions are not required if:
If the article you would like to reserve is available electronically through UK Libraries, permission has already been obtained by the library.
No permissions are required to place the library’s copy of a book or journal or your own personal copy of a book or journal on physical reserve.
If the library does not own a book that you would like to use extensively in the future, we will be happy to order a copy if possible.
The library will obtain copyright permissions for reserve items that are available in the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC). The CCC is a US-based company that licenses copyrighted material on behalf of authors for corporate and academic users. These permissions must be purchased, and the library will pay up to $50 per course.
The library must pay copyright permissions for each student per reading placed on electronic reserve and for each duplicate copy of a reading placed on paper reserves, and do so for each semester that the material is used. To reduce costs:
In order for the library to provide these copyright services, instructors placing photocopied or scanned material on reserve must submit materials at least three weeks prior to their intended use and provide complete citation information for every item.
The instructor must obtain copyright for photocopied or scanned items that are not available via the CCC, or for any permissions obtained by the library that exceed the $50 cost limitation.
To obtain copyright permissions, contact the publisher and use this sample form.
When asking for copyright permission, explain that the materials will be used for course reserves and ask for use of the item for the longest time period possible. Obtaining permissions can be a lengthy process, so it is best to begin this process a semester in advance when possible.
Keep records of granted permissions for the duration of the use of the materials. The library may request to view permissions obtained by the instructor.
Find authoritative and up-to-date copyright information via U.S. Copyright Office circulars. Pertinent circulars include:
For clarification on questions related to copyright law, please contact the Office of Legal Counsel.
To find information about copyright ownership by individual authors, visit the Authors Registry.
Please direct questions about course reserves and obtaining copyright permissions to refdesk@uky.edu.