The federal copyright laws exist to "promote the useful arts and sciences" as well as to protect the ownership rights of copyright holders.  Eastern University maintains an Intellectual Property Policy on Works Created by the Faculty and Staff that protects the rights of our community regarding our own work and scholarship.  In the same spirit, the University acknowledges its responsibility to ensure that students, faculty and staff are aware of copyright laws, guidelines, and license agreements and act responsibly as they use information owned by others.  Examples of appropriate measures include:  notification of potential copyright restrictions at point of use (such as public photocopiers, scanners, computer labs), statement of a detailed copyright policy and accompanying guidelines, and periodic reminders to the community of their responsibility.

It is the policy of Eastern University to comply with the United States Copyright Law of 1976, as amended (Title 17, United States Code). Thus, all faculty, staff, and students of Eastern University are required to respect the proprietary rights of owners of copyrights and refrain from actions that infringe the rights of copyright owners.

Eastern University’s Copyright website includes Guidelines and a Copyright Compliance Checklist to assist members of the Eastern community in complying with federal copyright law and to enable them to distinguish between permitted and prohibited uses of copyrighted materials. Members of the Eastern University community are encouraged to become knowledgeable about copyright. The guidelines contain extensive information about copyright law as well as links to resources that will assist members of the community in complying with this policy and the law.

A reproducible copyright notice is included here – which should be printed and posted at all photocopying stations that may be used for reproducing copyrighted materials. 

This document and accompanying links provide basic copyright information and also detailed guidelines for determining use and compliance. 

Additional copyright related policies for Eastern University can be found at these designated areas:

• Student Handbook

This policy is effective as of August 2012.