Visual Resources Collection

Copyright Policies and Tools

Most materials in the Visual Resources Collection are copyrighted. Reproduction of copyrighted slides and photographs, in any format, including digital conversion, is regulated by law and subject to prior agreement with the owner, publisher, or vendor of the item.

• United States Copyright Office: The U.S. government site for information on copyright. In addition to the actual text of Title 17 of the United States Code, it includes a short introduction, Frequently Asked Questions and a presentation intended for teacher and students, "Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright".

• Copyright Advisory Office at Columbia University: This site, directed toward higher educational institutions, includes a Fair Use Checklist, a section dedicated to Libraries and Copyright, and information on special topics such as the Google book scanning settlement.

• Copyright & Art Issues: A site created and maintained by the former curator of the Visual Resources Collection, Christine Sundt, with links to documents, policies, guidelines, papers, and opinions regarding copyright and fair use with special emphasis on fine arts and digital images.

• Digital Image Rights Computator: An online program to assist users in assessing the intellectual propery status of images documenting a work of art, a designed object, or a portion of the built environment. Provided by the Visual Resources Association.

• Digital Copyright Slider: An online program to assist users in assessing the copyright status of printed information. Provided by Michael Brewer and the American Library Association's Office for Information Technology.

• Creative Commons: A nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright by provides free licenses and other legal tools for marking creative work.