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Copyright protection for work created by others

Erikson Institute respects the intellectual property rights of others, including yours. We take great care to ensure that our use of copyrighted materials in Erikson courses and other areas conforms to copyright law. We expect you to do so as well.

It is your responsibility to make a good faith determination that your use of copyrighted materials complies with U.S. Copyright Law and Erikson’s Intellectual Property Policy, available on the Academics homepage on my.erikson.edu (log-in required).

You should familiarize yourself with sections of the Intellectual Property Policy that are particularly relevant to students. Please take time to review Part I, “Use of Copyrighted Material of Others” (pages 1–11) to ensure that you use such materials correctly. The policy covers “fair use” in many different situations, including use of copyrighted materials available on the Internet. Under Part II, “Ownership of Intellectual Property,” you will want to look at “Work Created by Students,” page 17.

Given the complexity of copyright law, we encourage you to err on the side of caution. If you have any questions regarding appropriate use of copyrighted materials, please don’t hesitate to contact the library staff, who are your best resource.

Penalties for copyright violations

Users who violate policies regarding the use of copyrighted materials may be subject to disciplinary actions, including dismissal from the Institute and legal penalties.

Under federal law, a person found to have infringed upon a copyrighted work may be liable for actual damages and lost profits attributable to the infringement, and statutory damages from $200 up to $150,000. The copyright owner also has the right to permanently enjoin an infringer from further infringing activities, and the infringing copies and equipment used in the infringement can be impounded and destroyed. If a copyright owner hired an attorney to enforce his or her rights, the infringer of a work may also be liable for the attorney’s fees as well as court costs. Finally, criminal penalties may also be assessed against the infringer and could include jail time depending upon the nature of the violation.

For more information on penalties for violation of federal copyright laws, see www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html.