Resources

MLA Scholarly Communications Issues

Copyright and Fair Use

MLA supports protection of intellectual property through copyright, and recognizes that the copyright law was established to balance the rights of authors or content owners with the rights of users. This page provides resources on MLA position statements and FAQs, and relevant links to external organizations.

MLA Position Statements
MLA FAQs
Resources from Other Organizations
Legislation and Advocacy

MLA Position Statements

The Copyright Law and the Health Sciences Librarian (2007)
This MLA online publication is a revision of the 1989 edition of “The Copyright Law and the Health Sciences Librarian.” It is a practical, user-friendly guide written in Q&A format, and has been updated for today's digital environment. It addresses questions related to digitization, scanning, downloading, electronic distribution, and more.
Copyright and Lending Software (1995)
Provides background information on MLA's support for the Copyright Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990, and lawful lending of software by health sciences libraries.
Copyright Law and Fair Use (1994)
Provides background information on copyright and defines the concept of fair use.
Copyright Management Guidelines (2001)
Outlines guidelines of copyright management, including interpretation of the scope of fair use under the copyright law.
Guidelines for Selecting Copyright Management Options (2002)
ntended to provide librarians with information to assist in the determination of appropriate copyright management services, and is a companion to the MLA statement, Copyright Management Guidelines.

MLA FAQs

Copyright Law and General Fair Use FAQ (1998)
Provides background information on copyright and fair use.
Copyright and the Web FAQ (1998)
Intended as a guide to assist librarians in their work as web developers.
Copyright Law and Interlibrary Loan FAQ (1997)
ntended as a guide to assist librarians in interlibrary loan practices.
Copyright Law and Liability FAQ (1997)
Provides background information on copyright and liability.
Copyright Law and Print Reserves FAQ (1997)
Intended as a guide to assist librarians in the development of print reserves.

Resources from Other Organizations

ARL “Campus Copyright Rights and Responsibilities: A Basic Guide to Policy Considerations” (2005)
Developed by the Association of American Universities, the Association of Research Libraries, the Association of American University Presses, and the Association of American Publishers to convey the common understanding of these organizations regarding the basic meaning and practical significance of copyright for the higher education community.
Cornell University Copyright Information Center (http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/)
Provides resources on copyright issues, copyright management, scholarly communication, licensing, and more.
SPARC’s Author Rights Brochure
Identifies the rights faculty have as copyright holders and encourages them to retain the rights needed to ensure the broadest practical access to their articles.
University of Texas Office of General Counsel
Offers the Crash Course in Copyright, and addresses several topics, including copyright management, fair use, and offsite resources.
U.S. Copyright Office
Provides resources on recent initiatives, hot topics, the law and policy, and more.

Legislation and Advocacy

Court Cases—MLA occasionally signs onto joint amici curiae briefs that address copyright and fair use issues that are relevant to the mission of libraries
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), (including legislation and statements on the issues of distance education, prohibition on circumvention of copyright protection technologies, and online service providers)
Library of Congress Section 108 Study Group
Orphan Works

For further information, contact Mary Langman, 312.419.9094 x27, langman@mlahq.org.