1.
COPYRIGHT & DIGITAL PROJECTS
Rachael G. Samberg, J.D., M.L.I.S.
Scholarly Communication Officer
UC Berkeley Library

2.
Today
▪ Why are we talking about this?
▪ What is copyright?
▪ How do I answer copyright and other legal
questions as I’m creating a digital project to
publish online?

3.
Using other
people’s content
Ho attraversato tutta la
città.
Poi ho salita un'erta,
popolosa in principio, in là
deserta,
chiusa da un muricciolo:
I traversed the whole city.
Then climbed a hill
crowded at first, in the
end deserted,
closed off by a little wall:
Trieste, Umberto Saba, 1910 Trieste, trans. A.S. Kline, 2012

4.
Site or Database
Terms of Use
Translated by A. S. Kline
© 2012 All Rights Reserved
This work may be freely reproduced, stored, and
transmitted, electronically or otherwise, for any non-
commercial purpose.
http://poetsofmodernity.xyz/POMBR/Italian/FiveItalianPoets.htm#anchor_Toc326225674

5.
Can’t I just cite
the source?
Dan4thNicholas, CC-BY, h2ps://flic.kr/p/8PEZiG Sakaki0214, CC-BY-NC-ND, h2ps://flic.kr/p/9jykF1
Attribution Permission

6.
What is copyright?
Exclusive rights to make certain uses
for limited period of time

7.
Reward of
Exclusive Rights
▪ Reproduction
▪ Derivative works
▪ Distribution
▪ Public performance
▪ Public display

8.
…for limited
periods of time
Varies, but at least author’s life + 70 years
Within “protected” period,
author’s permission needed to
reproduce, display, perform, etc.

9.
A Few Other ©
Prerequisites
By Rachael G. Samberg
Ghana Statistical Service, “Gross Domestic Product 2016,”
http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/gdp_new.html
Protects expressions, not facts Must be original,
authored, and fixed

10.
Copyright &
Underlying Work
By Rachael G. Samberg

11.
Works in
Public Domain
Works by U.S. Federal gov’t Works whose © has expired
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Britannica_Shakespeare_Droeshout_Engraving.jpg
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/journey-to-
mars-next-steps-20151008_508.pdf

12.
Other
Limitations
Statutory exemptions
• Undertake exclusive rights
without obtaining permission and
without payment of license fee

13.
Statutory Exemption: Fair Use
1. Purpose & character of use
(commercial purposes less likely fair than
nonprofit educational; whether use is
“transformative” often dominates)
2. Nature of copyrighted work
(more likely fair if you’re using factual/
scholarly work)
3. Amount and substantiality
(size & importance of portion used in
relation to whole)
4. Effect on potential market
(less likely fair if use is substitute for
purchasing original)By Rachael G. Samberg

14.
Is use fair?
▪ All four factors
▪ No 10% rule
▪ Always fair to link to lawful

15.
Still in © and use exceeds fair?
▪ You need permission
▫ Permission = license
applied by the author
▫ Can be pre-applied

16.
Applying this
to Digital Projects
By Rachael G. Samberg

17.
Workflow

18.
1: Do you need
permission?
Has a license already
been granted?
Is the work
in the public
domain?
Would publishing the
content be fair use? If
yes, skip to Step 3.

19.
Applying Step 1
2011 Don Quixote translation
By Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Author), Tom Lathrop (Translator), Penguin Classics

20.
Dig into Purpose
Analysis of design The photo itself
George Georgiou, http://www.georgegeorgiou.net/projects.php

21.
Applying Step 1
By Aphelpsmd - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47336939
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acide_sulfurique_semi_dev.png

22.
2: Seek permission
if needed
Research who
holds copyright &
send request.
Keep
records for
your files
Ensure permission
covers all intended
uses

23.
• Archives might have info
• Could also try searching registrations
Finding Rights Holders

24.
Sample Permission Request

25.
3: Address non ©
policy concerns
Contractual or terms of service
restrictions from archives,
databases, or websites?
Concerns about rights of
privacy or publicity?

26.
Contractual
Limitations

27.
Mining vs.
Displaying
▪ What do the archives,
databases, or websites allow
you to collect & save?
▪ What do they allow you to
display or republish?
Check license agreement or
terms of service

28.
Rights of
Privacy
▪ © protects copyright holders' property rights
▪ But privacy protects people who are subjects of works
▪ Vary by state
▪ Expire at death
▪ Newsworthiness and permission are defenses

29.
Rights of
Publicity
▪ Right to control commercial use of identity
▪ Survive death
▪ Usually applicable only if commercial use

30.
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt087022kf
Tom (William S.) Photographs
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives

31.
Should you
register your
copyright?
Do you want to & can
you license the use of
your work?
4: How do you
want to share?

32.
If you liked it
then you
should have
put registration
on it?
• Copyright attaches upon work
being fixed
• So, registration not required for
work to be copyrighted
• But, it has advantages…

33.
Encourage scholarship,
innovation, criticism, etc.?
Preclude reuse beyond
fair uses?
TLG® materials are copyrighted and are
not in the public domain. You may browse
and search the TLG Canon and textual
corpus and online LSJ on this site but you
may not download them.
http://www.tlg.uci.edu/copyright/index.php
How should others use your work?

34.
Plan in advance!

35.
Let’s Talk
rsamberg@berkeley.edu