Copyrights

Web pages generally fall under U.S. copyright regulations and protections, which means you usually need to ask permission to use anything copied from others' web sites, printed materials or electronic media (such as music on CDs).

Text, photographs and graphics that you post on official Iowa State web pages are copyrighted through the university, but you must state that somewhere on the page. (See "Protecting your web pages" below).

Fair use of other's work

The "fair use" provision of the copyright law allows you to use small portions of work from another web site or publication without permission of the owner, for such purposes as teaching and scholarship.

But when in doubt, the appropriate and ethical thing to do is ask the owners for permission to use their works. You also will need permission to use any unversity work that is copyrighted or trademarked. Most web pages will have a source or contact who can help you locate the copyright owner.

Protecting your web pages

To protect the works you are posting on your unit's web site, include the following information at the bottom of the page:

• A contact, to whom readers can direct questions and comments. Provide an e-mail contact and phone number on every page. A complete postal address should be on the top level of the site.
• This copyright statement: "Copyright © [year], Iowa State University, all rights reserved." Link the word "copyright" to this URL: http://www.iastate.edu/guide/policies/notice.html

Useful copyright links

• Copyright Management Center (Indiana University)
• ISU marks

If you've got Homer Simpson's image on your site and you haven't gotten permission to use Homer, you're violating copyright laws.