Information Security Office

Institutional Compliance

Office of Legal Affairs

Office of Technology Transfer/ ORSP

Course Reserves Policy

In many cases, you can eliminate the need for permission or fee by simply giving your students a link to the work instead of making copies of it.

Welcome to the Copyright and Intellectual Property Research Guide, which is designed to share information on copyright basics, available resources, and UTEP's Copyright Policies. Georgia K. Harper in the University of Texas Copyright Crash Course says,

“Copyright enables us and it throws stumbling blocks in our paths. If you take the time to learn a little bit about it, you can exploit its benefits and avoid its pitfalls.”

To assist with copyright issues, the University of Texas at El Paso has several offices that help to inform and educate the university community about the application of copyright principles. This research guide is intended to provide information about campus policy as well as current resources that will support you in using copyrighted materials in the pursuit and delivery of higher education.

This guide, however, is not intended to serve as legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

Copyright Overview (PDF) (Provided by U.S. Copyright Office)

Copyright Crash Course  (Developed by the University of Texas System)

Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright

• What is copyright?
  • Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.​
• What does copyright protect?
  • ​Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.
• What is copyright infringement?
  • ​As a general matter, copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.

Provided by U.S. Copyright Office