Copyright & Licensing Restrictions
Copyright Restrictions
When using any resources such as for-fee databases or reference materials paid for by Vanderbilt University Libraries, you must follow copyright law. It states that no copyrighted work may be copied, published, disseminated, displayed, performed, or played without permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with fair use or licensed agreement. This includes journal articles, market and analyst research, music, movies, and other copyrighted materials. If you have questions about what is fair use, consult the chart below, ask the Walker Management Library staff, or contact Copyright Clearance Services.
Licensing Restrictions
The Walker Management Library, as part of the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries at Vanderbilt University, has legal and binding contracts with vendors and publishers to provide you with information that would normally cost millions of dollars per year. To do so, the libraries negotiate license agreements that define how and by whom they may be used. If the license terms are violated by anyone, the providers have the right to suspend or permanently revoke access for the entire university.
Library resources are strictly for the purposes of research, teaching, and private study. Commercial use, and systematic downloading, copying, or distributing of information are expressly prohibited. Users are individually responsible for compliance with these terms. At Owen, it's generally considered good practice to quote a piece of information and then cite it properly so that the full report or document can be obtained from the supplier. This applies particularly in cases of internships and other classroom projects for the external business community.
Helpful Guidelines
You can help prevent problems with copyright and licensing restrictions by adhering to good practice and avoiding improper use. Here are some guidelines:
| Usually OK | Usually Not OK |
|---|---|
| making limited print or electronic copies (such as single articles) | systematic or substantial printing, copying or downloading (such as entire journal issues or books) |
| using for personal, instructional or research needs | selling or re-distributing content, or providing it to an employer |
| sharing with other Vanderbilt faculty, staff and students | sharing with people other than Vanderbilt faculty, staff and students |
| posting links to specific content | posting content or articles to web sites or listservs |
| modifying, altering, or creating derivative works |
Please also refer to Vanderbilt University's policy on Computer Privileges and Responsibilities.