Copyright

Special Collections material is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel and literary property rights which may be involved in his or her use of manuscripts or other records. With the exception of brief extracts, permission to publish any unpublished material from these manuscripts must be secured from Clemson University. The University Libraries does not, by granting this permission, relinquish its own right to publish the material or to permit other persons to publish or quote therefrom.

The researcher is further cautioned that neither the University Libraries' exclusive ownership of the collection nor authorization to publish material in the collection constitutes a conveyance of those literary rights not held by Clemson University. The applicant assumes full responsibility for any infringement of copyright or publication rights belonging to the author, his or her heirs, or assigns.

Copyright law also governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of the specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

For additional information on copyright, see the Crash Course in Copyright by Georgia Harper, manager of the Intellectual Property Section of the Office of General Counsel for the University of Texas System and a specialist in copyright law.