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Copyright: USD's Annual Copyright License

Copley Library is committed to helping the USD community understand and use copyright regulations in their scholarship and teaching. In this guide, you'll find resources on fair use, copyright for authors, information on using images and media, and more.

Annual Academic Copyright License

What is the Annual Academic Copyright License?

The University of San Diego has a new Annual Academic Copyright License from the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC). This license authorizes USD faculty and staff to reproduce and distribute copyrighted content, in accordance with the terms of the license, for educational and research purposes.

What does the License cover?

Content covered by the license includes:

Some common uses covered by the license include:

  • Posting PDF copies of articles to course management systems, such Blackboard and Canvas
  • Paper and electronic coursepacks
  • Library print and e-reserves
  • Research collaboration, such as sharing PDFs in a cloud based tool like Google Drive
  • Emailing PDFs to students enrolled in your courses 

Note:  Best practice is to link from Copley databases whenever possible to ensure copyright compliance and to maximize accessibility for all students, including those that may require assistive technologies. Importantly, linking also helps ensure accurate usage statistics for the library's electronic resources.

What does the License not cover?

  • Non-educational uses
  • Sharing that would not be permitted under normal fair use exemptions, such as copying and distributing an entire book (unless otherwise noted by the rights holder)
  • Educational uses that require additional permissions

For content not covered by the license, reach out to Copley Library’s Electronic Course Reserves Services. Copley handles all copyright permission requests and payments for content added and shared through our electronic course reserves system, ARES.   

How can I tell if I am covered by the license?

To determine if your proposed use of an article, book, or other copyrighted material is covered by the annual academic license, use the CCC's RightFind Academic Tool. Enter the publication title of the work (e.g.: book, journal, newspaper), ISBN/ISSN, or the name of the publisher of the title you wish to use.

How do I access the RightFind Tool?

To access the tool, create your account at https://rightfind.copyright.com/rs-ui-web/welcome. 

  • On-campus users: Connect to the “eduroam” wifi network before creating your account.
  • Off-campus users: Connect to USD’s VPN solution provided by USD Information Technology Services (ITS). For assistance with VPN access, contact USD’s ITS helpdesk at 619-260-7900 or via email at help@sandiego.edu. 

Adapted from Purdue University’s CCC Academic License Guide and Loma Linda University’s Copyright Guide